Brett Lee: Sachin Tendulkar better than Brian Lara

Sachin Tendulkar and Brett Lee

Former Australian fast bowler has stated that he rates Sachin Tendulkar ahead of Brian Lara. He has also said that Tendulkar has been like a “hero” for him.

When asked to compare Lara and Sachin, Lee said, “I have to say Sachin, because he has that aura when he comes out to bat. I have waged many a battle against him and was lucky enough to get him out more number of times than anyone else in the world. But I was also on the receiving end of many hundreds — like the hundred (116) he got at Melbourne in 1999 and the many hundreds he has scored against us all around the world. When you play against Sachin you somehow (have to) find a way to give that little bit extra.”

He added, “When I played my first Test at Melbourne as a 23-year-old fresh faced kid from the bush, I am looking at this guy resembling Sachin Tendulkar. He was tiny, his bat was this big.”

He further emphasized, “I thought to myself ‘this is the guy I want to play against’. I was pinching myself it was not a dream. I thought I can ask him for an autograph rather than bowl to him. It’s strange when you get to play against someone who was the hero as you were growing up. It’s a huge opportunity and I had a lot of opportunities to play against him.”

It is heartening to note that ex-players and fans still respect and like Tendulkar , even after his retirement!