One word from Sachin or Dhoni can save the tiger: Sandeep Patil

BANGALORE: When Indian cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Azharuddin, Sanjay Manjrekar and Sandeep Patil carried stuffed tigers whenever they took the field in the 1996 World Cup in the subcontinent, it wasn't an idle statement being made. Cricketers to this day continue to lend support to wildlife conservation.
This week, when Team Mumbai, trooped into Bangalore for their match against the local team, Harbhajan Singh took time off to lend his voice for conservation. He along with Yusuf Pathan and Sandeep Patil celebrated forest guards and roused up a wave of support for conservation among animal lovers and cricket fans in the city as they pledged that they would continue to do everything possible for the conservation of wildlife.
Speaking to BT, Harbhajan said, "It is depressing to constantly hear about tiger deaths. As responsible citizens, we should do whatever best we can to save the tiger from extinction."
He showed amazing awareness and concern for the subject as he rattled off figures. "All we have left are 1700 tigers in their natural habitat. We need to protect the tiger. But the tiger cannot be protected in isolation. We need to save its home. We cannot increase their numbers. They have to increase naturally, with increased habitat and protection."
A cricketer has but very little time, yet Bhajji says he will continue to lend his support, "I will do everything I can to help save this species. I will come wherever I am wanted to be part of wildlife conservation."
He urged youngsters to join the players in the campaign. "We need youngsters to join tiger conservation. We need to act quickly before the tiger disappears from the face of the earth. You could join any one of the several campaigns as wildlife ambassadors and give it the much needed energy," he said.
Yusuf Pathan shared that conservation caught his eye mainly because of his love for wildlife. "I have never missed any wildlife programme on TV. Whenever I get an opportunity, which is rare, I try to visit wildlife parks. In fact, soon after the IPL is over, I am going to see the lions in Gir. The tiger is a beautiful animal. Everything about it inspires me. I am told that there are very few tigers in the wild in India. If we don't protect them and keep their habitats intact, we could lose them soon. It is time we did something about this seriously. But as a cricketer, even though tight schedules mean we have very little time, I would like to do my bit for wildlife conservation," he said.
So what is it that a cricketer can do for the tiger, given his tight schedules? Former Indian cricketer and former Kenya Cricket coach Sandeep Patil, who more than got his share of time in the wild in Africa, said, "We just need their voice. One word from Sachin or Dhoni can save the Tiger." Sachin has, in the past, done just that. In 2010, he dedicated his 160 in New Zealand to wildlife conservation efforts.
"We love our cricketers and the conservation movement can receive a great impetus with cricketers lending their brand," says Sandeep, who seems to be the thread linking generations of cricketers and keeping them involved in conservation.
"It is a strange and welcome fact that almost all cricketers in the Indian team love wildlife. I've taken most of them to wildlife parks in Africa and in India and I've seen that they are concerned about nature. In the future, we're going to have more cricketers lending their brand to conservation," added Sandeep.
Meanwhile, the action plan for conservationists who have the support of cricketers is to take the campaign to cities on the periphery of tiger reserves.
"With the help of cricketers we can reach out to more people, sensitize them and make them effective guardians of our wildlife, especially the tiger," said Mercy Kalyani, spokesperson of Bangalore-based Panther Nature Club.
The next stop will be Madhya Pradesh. "MP has lost many of its tigers to poaching in recent times. We will have a similar campaign with cricketers next year and hope to get more players involved. With Sandeep behind the venture to save India's flagship species, we are confident that this effort will fetch the desired results," she said.