Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is rarely in the news for things which doesn't concern his on-field cricket exploits. But the 46-year old now finds himself in a legal battle with Australian bat manufacturer Spartan Sports International. The reason is the allegation by the retired cricketer that this company used his pictures and name to sell their products and didn't pay the royalties which, according to him, amount to $2 million, as per a report by news agency Reuters.
Spartan is a company based in Sydney. As per the suit filed by Tendulkar, it had agreed to pay him $1 million per year for the rights to use the images and logos of the legendary Indian cricketer for promoting a special series of sports goods named as 'Sachin by Spartan.'
The civil suit also mentions that the former India captain appeared in several promotional events organised by the company. However, till September 2018, the organisation hadn't made any payments to Tendulkar which led to him ending the agreement. But, as per the claim of Sachin's lawyers, the company continued to use the name and symbols associated with the great cricketer. As a consequence of this, the matter has been taken to court by the legal team representing the veteran of 200 Tests. Till now, there hasn't been an official response from the company to the plea filed on behalf of the 'Little Master.'
The master batsmen retired from cricket in late 2013 after a career that lasted for 24 years and saw him playing 200 Tests and 463 ODIs. In his career, the man from Mumbai scored 15921 Test and 18426 ODI runs with 100 international centuries, 51 in Tests and 49 in one-dayers.
The greatness of the player and the popularity of the icon can be gauged by the fact that even today, he remains a prized commodity as a brand ambassador and is often seen in events and advertisements of various companies. He is also an ambassador for UNICEF.
