Veteran actor Tom Alter passed away on Friday night after a long battle with skin cancer.
The 67-year-old actor of American descent appeared in over 300 films and his work on television ranged from "Bharat Ek Khoj" to "Shaktimaan". In 2008, he awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the country.
Alter, a cricket enthusiast, who also worked as a sports journalist in the eighties and nineties, was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for television.
Tendulkar, just 15-years-old at the time, had played the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and scored a century against Gujarat, but he was yet to make his debut for India. When the interview was conducted, selectors were considering the teenager for India's tour of the West Indies.
In the interview, Tendulkar told Alter that he always wanted to play cricket and that he preferred facing fast bowlers.
Recalling the interview, Alter recently said, "I clearly remember the interaction. It was his first video interview. I wouldn't say he was naive, but rather innocent and soft spoken. Though a little shy in front of the camera, the boy was very confident without being a show-off."
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