England tempo legend James Anderson confessed that seeing his identify alongside the iconic Sachin Tendulkar on a trophy feels “completely out of place,” calling it an unimaginable honour to be related with “one of the greatest cricketers to have ever lived”.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rechristened the Test collection between India and England as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, paying tribute to the two titans of the sport.
Previously, the contests on English soil had been performed for the Pataudi Trophy, named after former Indian captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.
“It’s not necessarily just how huge it is to have a trophy named after you, but alongside Sachin Tendulkar, who, for me, is one of the greatest ever cricketers to have lived.
“I really feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. I maintain him in such excessive regard.” Anderson told Sky Sports’
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“I watched him as a child, performed towards him. He’s simply such an iconic cricketer who’s carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders all through his profession and previous it as properly. So, to share one thing like this with him is an unimaginable honour.”
Both Anderson and Tendulkar are widely regarded as all-time greats. They are the most-capped players in the history of Test cricket. Tendulkar played 200 matches, and Anderson appeared in 188 Tests.
Anderson, who claimed 704 wickets in 188 Tests, faced Tendulkar on several occasions during the late 2000s.
The 42-year-old also reflected on how detached he sometimes feels from the legacy he’s created.
“It is unusual that when folks speak about what I have achieved in cricket, like when I hear about it as if somebody’s speaking about another person if that is smart like I don’t really feel it’s me who has achieved all this,” he said.
Anderson brought the curtain down on his illustrious career last year, stepping aside to make way for England’s next generation of fast bowlers.
England currently lead the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-1 with the fourth Test slated to begin on Wednesday at Manchester.
