Well Played Alastair, Says Sachin Tendulkar As He Pays Tribute To England Great

Sachin Tendulkar, on Monday, paid his tribute to Alastair Cook after the England great announced he would retire at the end of the ongoing series against India.

Cook confirmed that the upcoming fifth Test at The Oval would be his last game in international cricket. The decision brings an end to a glorious career that kicked off with a stunning century on debut against India in 2006.  The 33-year-old departs as one of his country’s most decorated players.

He has played more Tests, scored more runs and more centuries than any England cricketer in history.  Cook took the decision to hang his boots after his prolonged poor form which has showed no signs of improvements in the ongoing series. But his latest struggles does not at all undermine his greatness.

Cook is bowing out of the game as one of the best openers in the history of Test cricket.

“After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India,” said Cook while announcing his retirement.

“Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank. I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel very privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game,” he added.

Cook has so far scored 32 hundreds and 56 fifties, and averaged 44.88. The greatest series of his illustrious career came in Australia in 2010-11, when he hit 766 runs at an average of 127 and helped England claim a 3-1 win – their first Ashes win Down Under since 1986. Cook has so far scored 12,254 runs and is sixth in the all-time list.

He also captained England in 59 of his Tests, famously leading them to victory in India in 2012-13, home Ashes wins in 2013 and 2015, and a series triumph in South Africa in 2015-16.

Tributes have been pouring in since Cook announced his decision and Sachin Tendulkar also did his bit. The India legend called Cook one of England’s finest batsmen and lauded him for his conduct, tweeting:

“#AlastairCook has been one of the finest batsmen to have represented @ECB_cricket, and his conduct on-field and off it, has been impeccable. Well played Alastair. Wish you all the very best for what your 2nd innings has in store for you! “

#AlastairCook has been one of the finest batsmen to have represented @ECB_cricket, and his conduct on-field and off it, has been impeccable. Well played Alastair. Wish you all the very best for what your 2nd innings has in store for you! pic.twitter.com/Y2mZd31GaN

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 3, 2018