The cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan is undoubtedly one of the biggest in the sporting world. It's become the battle of nerves whenever these two South Asian arch-rivals lock horns with each other on the cricket field.
Rivalry aside, there is also the mutual respect between the cricketers of both countries. While most of the Pakistani cricketers envy the rich batting talents of Team India, the same holds true for Indian players when it comes to Pakistan’s fast bowling resources.
On Tuesday (May 12), former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif opened up on his admiration for Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, saying his heart did not want the latter to get out whenever he used to bat.
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“Several players came to bat, when I used to keep. But when he used to come out to bat, my heart did not want him to get out. I used to enjoy watching him bat, while I was keeping. Not while watching him play on TV, but while I was standing behind the stumps,” Latif said while speaking on his Youtube channel ‘Caught Behind’.
“Whether it was Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis, I always felt like getting them out while I was keeping. Tendulkar’s behaviour was unique. Even if I say some thing from behind, he never would respond or say something back, he just kept laughing.
“Others used to react. He and Mohammad Azharuddin were like this. They used to make opposition’s players their own. This is why everyone admires Tendulkar, especially wicket-keepers. He would slam a hundred, he would be attacking bowlers, but he never said a word. And you are trying to rile him up as a keeper to get him out, but he would never react.
“You play an innings, you leave. But one always remember your behaviour. In my opinion, he is at the top of the list of players who had the best on-field behaviour, and such players forever remain etched in your memories,” he added.
In a career spanning 24 years, Sachin Tendulkar played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs for his country, scoring the world record number of runs (15921 in Tests and 18426 in ODIs) and centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).
Tendulkar also has an impressive record against Pakistan. In 18 Tests, the Master Blaster amassed 1057 runs at an average of 42.28 with 2 tons versus the arch-rivals while he aggregated 2526 runs from 69 ODIs at 40.09 including 5 hundreds.
