The India Room, and Sachin

So The Oval is going to have a new stand with an 'India Room' ( to be inagurated by Sachin). Interesting.

It will seat about 160 people, but 160 very rich people I am sure ("well heeled expats" as the report offers). I am interested as to what memorabilia they are going to have there, and what are the technicalities of the 'India Room'- will it accommodate only Indians? (Maybe Will would know)

If you have gone and read the above Telegraph report , you would have read this about Sachin Tendulkar:

Speaking from his Mumbai residence on Wednesday evening, he added: “I realise a role awaits me both at Lord’s and The Oval, but I would have gone even if I had nothing to do. It’s about supporting a cause.” Of course.

Can someone please explain to me what this 'of course' means? Is it, unbelievably, a dig at Sachin? If it is, it's ridiculous, and if it not, it is redundant in the context.

And talking of pointlessness, what is the need for this, in the footnote of the same report:

Sachin hasn’t exactly been following international cricket for the past few weeks, but is aware that Brian Lara is fast catching up. The West Indian had 26 Test hundreds when Sachin got the world record-equalling 34th last December. Since then, Lara has added four to be only four adrift…

The 'hasn't exactly been following...but is aware' (er, well, what do you think?), and the '...' at the end, trying to create a sense of competition...ooohh, I'm all excited now.

Pointless...