New Delhi, July 18: Sachin Tendulkar has been assessed as being fit to return to international competitive cricket, a day before the team for the tri-series in Sri Lanka is to be named.
In a statement, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Niranjan Shah, said: "Sachin Tendulkar has been undergoing graded physical testing of his right shoulder for the last five days under the supervision of BCCI physio John Gloster and has made satisfactory progress to make him available for selection for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
"His final physical assessment from his surgeon in London prior to his participation in the London 20-20 match was very satisfied (sic)." The 33-year-old master blaster has not played in national colours since undergoing shoulder surgery in March but was scored heavily while turning out for a series of games with Lashings Club in England.
He hit three centuries and also appeared for an International XI against Pakistan in a Twenty20 charity match at The Oval earlier this week, scoring an unbeaten 50.
Shah was quoted by agencies as having said that Tendulkar had had a final assessment of his shoulder by his doctor, Andrew Wallace, in London prior to playing the matches for Lashings.
The BCCI secretary said that since Tendulkar had been passed fit by Gloster, he would not have to go through with the fitness test scheduled at Mumbai on Wednesday.
Tendulkar was operated on by Wallace for a problem in his right shoulder in London on March 26, soon after the third and last Test against the visiting England. He then missed the one-day series against England and the tour of the Caribbean in May-July. India lost the one-dayers 4-1 and drew the first three Tests but won the fourth to take the series 1-0.
Tendulkar has scored a world record 35 Test day centuries and stands fourth on the all-time list of scorers in Test cricket 10,469 runs in 132 matches, with West Indian Brian Lara and Australians Allan Border and Steve Waugh ahead of him.
Tendulkar is also the world’s leading ODI batsman with 14,146 runs from 362 matches that include a world record 39 hundreds. India take on Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo from August 14 to 29.
