What makes Sachin Tendulkar special is the respect that he got from the opposition cricketers and still gets even 7 years after retiring from international cricket. Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed, who had his fair share of duels with the little master said that Sachin rightfully ruled the game in his era.
Aaqib also reckoned that Sachin was successful in leaving an impact on the game by the virtue of the talent he possessed.
Speaking to GloFans, Aaqib, who featured in 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for his country, expressed: “Sachin created 100 per cent impact on the game with the quality or talent he had. He held the numero uno spot in the game for several years as he was a seasoned cricketer.”
Sachin, who is the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries – 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs – retired after playing 200 Tests 463 ODIs and one T20I.
The highest run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs scored 15921 runs at an average of 53.79 in Tests.In ODIs, Sachin amassed 18426 runs at an average of 44.83.
Answering to yet another question by a fan on 7/37 in 1991 and how fans hated Javed during that, Aaqib said that “lack of technology gave a lot of power to the Umpire at that time and whatever the Umpire said, was considered as the final decision”.
Aaqib, 48, served the Green Brigade for nine years. He hogged limelight after returning with exceptional figures of 7/37 in an ODI game, that too, against arch-rivals India in 1991. In the process, Aaqib had also claimed a hat-trick after he packed back Ravi Shastri, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin, who all were trapped before the stumps.