Sachin Tendulkar has already received rich admiration from two greats — Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Garfield Sobers. On Thursday, the list of his admirers swelled further when Pakistan great and one of the best-ever architects of swing bowling, Wasim Akram, lavished praise on the maestro.Akram’s words certainly add another dimension to the man’s feat because it comes from a man who has seen Sachin’s artistry from the other side of the wicket having shared numerous duels on the field.
Referring to Sachin’s record knock against South Africa last month — he broke the 200-run barrier in a one-day International — Akram said: “It’s an incredible achievement for a man of 36 years of age. The sheer passion he displays on the field, the commitment with which he approaches every game is exemplary.
“Such an innings on any stage, against any opposition is special. The fact that it came against a team like South Africa made it all the more special. To put it simply, he is the right man for the right record. He deserves it,” Akram, who is in the city to attend the Kolkata Knight Riders’ final preparatory camp as the bowling consultant, said.
He also added that if such records are in one’s destiny, nothing can stop him from achieving it. “Sachin had it in his destiny and there’s nothing much that anyone can do about it.”
Recalling his playing days, the man who boasts of a rare record of having taken more than 400 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, said: “It’s extremely difficult to plan anything for a batsman like Sachin… He is too perfect a batsman to fall into the traps. He has enormous talent and a sound technique. He is not a slogger and that counts.
“His records speaks for himself… He is the highest run-grosser in both Tests and ODIs… And now he also has the record for the most runs in an innings in a one-dayer,” he added.
Asked about the often-made comparisons between the maestro and Sir Don Bradman, Akram said: “Both are from two different eras… But there is no doubt that he is one of the greatest ever.”
