India and England’s Test series trophy was renamed to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ahead of the ongoing Test series, with England currently sitting in a 2-1 lead after their famous victory at Lord’s. The renaming of what was previously the Pataudi Trophy has already invoked plenty of discussion and debate, with Sachin Tendulkar previously having stated his own holdbacks about his name being on the trophy ahead of an Indian cricket legend.
James Anderson, the second half of the newly-named trophy, also voiced how he feels honoured to be on the trophy alongside Tendulkar. Speaking on Sky Cricket, Anderson revealed how he feels ‘out of place’ to hold such a position.
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"I feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. As I said, I hold him in such high regard,” said Anderson. Despite being one of the best bowlers in history, with the most wickets by a pacer with 704 across a 20-year career, Anderson still found it difficult to align with the standard Tendulkar had set.
Anderson also expressed how he often feels strange hearing about his career now that he has retired from international cricket, it often feels strange to hear about his achievements from a distance.
{{/usCountry}}Anderson also expressed how he often feels strange hearing about his career now that he has retired from international cricket, it often feels strange to hear about his achievements from a distance.
{{/usCountry}}“It is strange that when people talk about what I have achieved in cricket, like when I hear about it, as if someone's talking about someone else, if that makes sense,” explained Anderson in his interview. “Like I don't feel it is me who has achieved all this. It sounds really strange, but that is how my head works. I just can't quite believe the things that come with playing such a long time.”
Anderson’s career came to an end in 2024, when he stepped back to allow for England’s next generation of fast bowlers to take over and gain experience ahead of the ongoing India series and the upcoming Ashes. While Anderson claims that he feels slight impostor syndrome, there is no doubt that in terms of the standards these two players set, they belong on a similar pedestal when it comes to their accolades through their careers.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy resumes in Manchester at Old Trafford, where Anderson has an end named after him after representing Lanchashire with distinction over the years.