Edited By: Amrit Santlani
Last Updated: January 11, 2023, 4:18 PM IST
Joe Root reveals his admiration for Sachin Tendulkar
“He made his debut before I was born and played in my debut”: Joe Root on Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity.
One of the greatest ever players to play the Gentleman Game, Sachin Tendulkar has had a massive impact on an entire generation of cricketers including former England skipper Joe Root.
Root, who is regarded as one of the ‘fab four’ – cricketers who changed the modern sport – has heaped praise on Tendulkar.
Speaking to Zee ahead of the season opener of the inaugural edition of DP WORLD ILT20 between Dubai Capitals and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Root opened up on his admiration and ‘longevity’ of the Master Blaster.
The Englishman admitted that Sachin carried the weight of the pressure on his shoulders, but continued to perform for many years.
What stood out for him was the fact that Tendulkar made his debut way before Root was born, and continued to play even as the latter made his bow.
“I mean obviously there are some wonderful players currently playing but look at what Sachin has achieved, it’s just remarkable really, the longevity, the ability to be such a high-performing player at such a young age, and then to be able to sustain and to keep developing and moving forward in the game,” said Root.
He continued, “There have been times when he’s carried the weight of the pressure on his shoulders, and he did it for over 20 years. He made his debut before I was born and played in my debut, and it just shows how and what he was for Indian Cricket for such a long period of time.”
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“Truly great at the game, someone that you know, along with many others. I was a kid and I was admiring the way he played, how easy it looked, and not only has he contributed to Indian cricket but also to world cricket. So yeah, definitely a standout for me as a kid growing,” he added.
Ahead of the first clash between the Capitals and the Knight Riders at DP World ILT20, ADKR skipper Sunil Narine lauded the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup winner Joe Root.
“He is a class player, he has done so much for England cricket, hence definitely not taking him lightly,” said Narine.
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