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'Sachin is a great cricketer. The most honest and kind in the world. He is a legend. I call him Sir. He is worthy of that'
Former Pakistan cricketer Saeed Ajmal opened up on dismissing legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar in international cricket, saying that it was a very happy moment for him after taking the wicket of the former batter.
"Sachin is a great cricketer. The most honest and kind in the world. He is a legend. I call him Sir. He is worthy of that. In cricket, when you go to the ground, there is nothing like Sir, but I have played with him in it, it is a matter of honour for me. I have got him out, it is a matter of happiness for me. I will always remember this and whenever I played with him, I played as a human with respect," Ajmal said while speaking to the GloFans High School Cricket Cup launch which will take place in Sharjah and Ajman.
The 46-year-old further asserted that once Tendulkar advised him to bowl dusra in order to dismiss former right-hand batter Kevin Petersan.
"I never got angry. I played with him in a league in 2010. He told me to get Petersan out by doing "dusra". Then I got Petersan out by doing dusra. He was very happy. Then when I took 4 wickets in 4 overs, Sachin told me that now the match has 6 wickets left, you should not finish it too early. He has always respected us. He is a very good man," the former leg-spinner added.
With 34,357 runs in 664 international appearances at an average of 48.52, Sachin is the highest run-scorer in international cricket. He has scored 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries, most in international cricket. He is the only player to have a century of centuries.
Apart from Test cricket, Sachin has created numerous records in the ODI format as well.With 18,426 runs in ODIs at an average of 44.83, 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries, and 15,921 runs in Tests at an average of 53.78 with 51 centuries and 68 fifties, Sachin has the highest runs in both formats as well. The Master Blaster is also the first-ever cricketer to have hit a double hundred in ODIs and to have played a total of 200 Test matches.
Tendulkar is part of the Indian Team which won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. After his World Cup debut in 1992, his dream to win the prestigious trophy came true in 2011 when India defeated Sri Lanka in the final by six wickets. Sachin was also the part of Mumbai Indians franchise from 2008-13 as a player and won the IPL in 2013.