Tendulkar’s unique ton is £4m hit for Coventry firm

INDIAN cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s unique achievement in scoring 100 international centuries could be worth up to £4.2m for a Warwickshire firm.

Autographs of the World had been eagerly awaiting the landmark as it has been appointed exclusive worldwide agent to market five items of limited edition memorabilia signed by the player.

The landmark came in an Asia Cup one-day game against Bangladesh earlier this month after more than a year’s wait,

Autographs of the World, working in partnership with Universal Collectabillia, has designed and produced five exclusive items in conjunction with Tendulkar himself.

The Tendulkar Century of Centuries collection includes – mounted and framed – 100 Adidas bats, 500 official India cricket shirts, 100 platinum prints, 2,000 gold prints and just 50 showcases which include a range of full kit including a bat, pads, shirt, helmet, gloves and a ball – all signed by Tendulker immediately after reaching the historic achievement.

Autographs of the World, based in Coventry, also represents the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the ECB on all memorabilia matters.

Managing director Hamilton Bland said: “When we saw this was looming, I travelled out to Hyderabad to meet with Sachin’s advisers to try to do a deal, and succeeded. The fact that I represent the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the ECB including the English cricket team in memorabilia matters really helped.

“The following for Indian cricket is massive not only in the country itself but also globally. What Sachin Tendulkar has achieved is extraordinary, and the chances are that no other cricketer will ever come close to matching it.

“The Century of Centuries is the only official merchandise in the world to mark this momentous feat and has enormous investment potential. It will be a collection of the most sought-after items of sporting memorabilia ever produced.”

The firm has already been flooded with enquiries from collectors all over the world.

“We estimate the collection could fetch in excess of £4.2m in re-sale value,” added Mr Bland.