Rashid Latif recalls sledging Sachin Tendulkar

Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif, in a YouTube video, recalled sledging India’s batting great Sachin Tendulkar — who had the most unique response on the field.

The 51-year-old revealed that he had played against many great players and wanted to get them out whereas he enjoyed watching the master blaster bat.

“Several players came to bat when I used to keep. But when he used to come out to bat, my heart did not want him to get out. I used to enjoy watching him bat, while I was keeping. Not while watching him play on TV, but while I was standing behind the stumps,” said Latif.

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Whether it was Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis, I always felt like getting them out while I was keeping. Tendulkar’s behaviour was unique. Even if I say something from behind, he never would respond or say something back, he just kept laughing,” he added.

Latif claimed that Tendulkar’s nature of not responding to sledging while scoring a plethora of runs earned the admiration of his peers.

“Others used to react. He and Mohammad Azharuddin were like this. They used to make opposition’s players their own. This is why everyone admires Tendulkar, especially wicketkeepers. He would slam a hundred, he would be attacking bowlers, but he never said a word. And you are trying to rile him up as a keeper to get him out, but he would never react,” he said.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman stated that the on-field behaviour of the players left a memorable mark on everyone.

“You play an innings, you leave. But one always remembers your behaviour. In my opinion, he is at the top of the list of players who had the best on-field behaviour, and such players forever remain etched in your memories,” he added.

Tendulkar is considered by many to be the greatest batsmen to ever play the sport. The legendary batsman featured in 200 Tests, 463 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a solitary Twenty20 International (T20I) while scoring 15921 runs, 18426 runs and 10 runs respectively in each format.