Lee said, "Hats off to Sachin for having remained such a gentleman, no matter what the pressure."
By Lokendra Pratap Sahi
Calcutta (The Telegraph): Tearaway Brett Lee, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spearhead, spoke to The Telegraph exclusively on Sachin Tendulkar, at the ITC Sonar, on Friday.
The following are excerpts
Q Sachin was the India captain in your debut series, in 1999-00. Were you overawed when you bowled to him for the first time?
A I was 13 when Sachin made his debut for India and I’d watch him on the TV... I was still quite a few years away from playing Test cricket... So, from a distance, I watched him grow as a person, perform at the top level as an amazing athlete... The first competitive match that I bowled to Sachin was, of course, the first Test of that series (at the MCG). But I’d bowled to him once before that, for the Prime Minister’s XI, in Canberra.
You got Sachin out very cheaply (2)...
Yes... He’d nicked and straightaway walked, not waiting for the umpire to give him out. I picked up four wickets in that 50-over match.
But were you nervous on bowling to Sachin for the first time on your Test debut?
I was nervous, I was anxious... I was everything when Steve Waugh threw the ball at me... There I was about to bowl to one of my heroes, somebody whose career I’d followed for a decade. What helped is that, in the lead-up, I’d played a Shield game at the Waca, where I’d bowled really fast... I took inspiration from that.
The last time that you bowled to Sachin was during the recent tri-series in Australia. A dozen years after first having bowled to him, what’s it like today?
I break into a giggle, tell myself ‘here we go again’... Look, there’s such an aura about Sachin... He’s completed 22 years at the international level, which is some longevity... Actually, Sachin’s like the amazing red wine (Penfolds Grange) back in Australia, which gets better with age. Indeed, it ages beautifully.
What’s most special about Sachin?
I look at how sportsmen are off the field too... Sachin has remained so humble... I know India fairly well now and know that it can get difficult for us cricketers, fans want to get so close to you... It must be 20 times more difficult for Sachin... Hats off to Sachin for having remained such a gentleman, no matter what the pressure... What he’s done for India is amazing and fans live and die for him. When someone special comes in to bat, you feel his presence... One gets that feeling when Sachin takes guard... You sense
that extra energy. You can’t measure it, but it’s there. Being in the opposition, one tries to get him out, but there’s so much respect for him, respect which has been well-earned. I guess you can count on one hand the number of people who’ve tried to sledge Sachin. That’s the respect he enjoys... He’s an athlete who wants to win. I, at least, don’t have an issue with that. At the same time, you’ve got to be a gracious loser.
Sachin will soon be a member of Parliament. What’s your take?
I’m sure whatever Sachin does, he’ll do it brilliantly.
Youngsters can learn so much from Sachin...
Absolutely... What they can learn the most is that anything is possible... Sachin’s taken India by storm, he’s got the most number of runs and hundreds, has won a World Cup... Is the greatest batsman to have walked the earth... He’s known across the world... Sachin was 16 when he first played for India, so 16-year-olds can dream big... Set their sights high. If you want to look at the perfect cover drive, in all formats, look at Sachin. The ball is presented with such a clean face of the bat.
The last one... The greatest debate continues... Where do you place Sachin?
(Grins) It’s hard to compare eras... However, for me, Sachin’s the greatest batsman, Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath the greatest fast bowlers, Shane Warne the greatest spinner and my KKR teammate Jacques Kallis the greatest cricketer.
Calcutta (The Telegraph): Tearaway Brett Lee, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spearhead, spoke to The Telegraph exclusively on Sachin Tendulkar, at the ITC Sonar, on Friday.
The following are excerpts
Q Sachin was the India captain in your debut series, in 1999-00. Were you overawed when you bowled to him for the first time?
A I was 13 when Sachin made his debut for India and I’d watch him on the TV... I was still quite a few years away from playing Test cricket... So, from a distance, I watched him grow as a person, perform at the top level as an amazing athlete... The first competitive match that I bowled to Sachin was, of course, the first Test of that series (at the MCG). But I’d bowled to him once before that, for the Prime Minister’s XI, in Canberra.
You got Sachin out very cheaply (2)...
Yes... He’d nicked and straightaway walked, not waiting for the umpire to give him out. I picked up four wickets in that 50-over match.
But were you nervous on bowling to Sachin for the first time on your Test debut?
I was nervous, I was anxious... I was everything when Steve Waugh threw the ball at me... There I was about to bowl to one of my heroes, somebody whose career I’d followed for a decade. What helped is that, in the lead-up, I’d played a Shield game at the Waca, where I’d bowled really fast... I took inspiration from that.
The last time that you bowled to Sachin was during the recent tri-series in Australia. A dozen years after first having bowled to him, what’s it like today?
I break into a giggle, tell myself ‘here we go again’... Look, there’s such an aura about Sachin... He’s completed 22 years at the international level, which is some longevity... Actually, Sachin’s like the amazing red wine (Penfolds Grange) back in Australia, which gets better with age. Indeed, it ages beautifully.
What’s most special about Sachin?
I look at how sportsmen are off the field too... Sachin has remained so humble... I know India fairly well now and know that it can get difficult for us cricketers, fans want to get so close to you... It must be 20 times more difficult for Sachin... Hats off to Sachin for having remained such a gentleman, no matter what the pressure... What he’s done for India is amazing and fans live and die for him. When someone special comes in to bat, you feel his presence... One gets that feeling when Sachin takes guard... You sense
that extra energy. You can’t measure it, but it’s there. Being in the opposition, one tries to get him out, but there’s so much respect for him, respect which has been well-earned. I guess you can count on one hand the number of people who’ve tried to sledge Sachin. That’s the respect he enjoys... He’s an athlete who wants to win. I, at least, don’t have an issue with that. At the same time, you’ve got to be a gracious loser.
Sachin will soon be a member of Parliament. What’s your take?
I’m sure whatever Sachin does, he’ll do it brilliantly.
Youngsters can learn so much from Sachin...
Absolutely... What they can learn the most is that anything is possible... Sachin’s taken India by storm, he’s got the most number of runs and hundreds, has won a World Cup... Is the greatest batsman to have walked the earth... He’s known across the world... Sachin was 16 when he first played for India, so 16-year-olds can dream big... Set their sights high. If you want to look at the perfect cover drive, in all formats, look at Sachin. The ball is presented with such a clean face of the bat.
The last one... The greatest debate continues... Where do you place Sachin?
(Grins) It’s hard to compare eras... However, for me, Sachin’s the greatest batsman, Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath the greatest fast bowlers, Shane Warne the greatest spinner and my KKR teammate Jacques Kallis the greatest cricketer.
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