London: England pace legend James Anderson confessed that seeing his name alongside the iconic Sachin Tendulkar on a trophy feels “completely out of place,” calling it an incredible honour to be associated with “one of the greatest cricketers to have ever lived”.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rechristened the Test series between India and England as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, paying tribute to the two titans of the sport.
Previously, the contests on English soil were played 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 feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. I hold him in such high regard.” Anderson told ‘Sky Sports’.
“I watched him as a kid, played against him. He’s just such an iconic cricketer who’s carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders throughout his career and past it as well. So, to share something like this with him is an incredible 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 strange that when people talk about what I have achieved in cricket, like when I hear about it as if someone’s talking about someone else if that makes sense like I don’t feel it is 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 leads the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-,1 with the fourth Test slated to begin on Wednesday at Manchester.
