An iconic Sharjah cricket stadium stand has been renamed after Sachin Tendulkar in a special ceremony in the UAE, honouring the Indian cricket legend on his 50th birthday on April 24.
The West Stand at the iconic stadium has been renamed the 'Sachin Tendulkar Stand.' A special ceremony held on Monday marked the naming of the stand incidentally around the time the master blaster celebrated his 50th birthday.
Not only does it coincide with the Indian batting legend's birthday, but also with the 25th anniversary of his 'Desert Storm' back-to-back centuries against Australia in 1998 to a packed stadium.
The 143 he scored on April 22 and 134 two days later in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup, a triangular series between India, Australia and New Zealand, has been recorded in the books as a veritable 'Desert Storm'.
Tendulkar scored 49 hundred in ODIs played across 34 stadiums.
However, his 7 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, including the twin hundreds in April 1998, are lauded and celebrated by his fans around the world to this day.
Reacting to the news of naming the stand Sachin said in a message, "I wish I was there but unfortunately I had prior commitments. Playing in Sharjah has always been a magnificent experience. From the electrifying atmosphere to the love, affection and support, Sharjah has been a special venue for Indian cricket fans and lovers of the game from around the globe,” he said.
“A big thank you to Bukhatir and his team for this kind gesture on the 25th anniversary of the Desert Storm match and my 50th birthday. Feels like the greatest 6 of them all,” he is quoted to have said.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds the Guinness record for most One-Day internationals played (244), including some of the most memorable moments in cricketing history.
CEO of the Sharjah Stadium, Khalaf Bukhatir said this is our small way of expressing our gratitude to Sachin for doing so much for the game of cricket.
“Indeed, that was an incredible inning, and it was repeated in the finals. Right through the years of the now legendary CBFS initiative we have striven here at Sharjah to acknowledge the services of many great players even after their retirement,” Bukhatir said.
“We believe that as administrators it is our duty to pay tribute to those who have raised the bar and dedicated their lives to the cause of cricket, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Also, honouring Sachin on his 50th birthday, a gate named after him was unveiled at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Monday.
