Allan Lamb Sides With Sachin Tendulkar in GOAT Debate, Cites Personal Anecdote

Former England cricketer Allan Lamb has weighed in on the debate, naming Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest Indian batter of all time.

Virat Kohli pays respect to Sachin Tendulkar after surpassing his record for the most ODI centuries during the 2023 World Cup.

Lamb, 71, who participated in three World Cups and 79 Tests for England, unequivocally stated, "Sachin easily," when asked to choose between Indian cricketing legends.

Reflecting on his early encounters with Tendulkar, Lamb humorously recounted, "I played against him when he was 18. I dropped him at slip, and he went on to get 100 (in a Test match). So, I always say to him, it was me that made your name."

Lamb further elaborated on his preference for Tendulkar over other greats like Gavaskar and Virat Kohli.

While acknowledging Kohli's brilliance, stating, "Kohli is a brilliant player, he's got all the shots, he can score quickly," Lamb emphasized Tendulkar's unparalleled impact. "But if you want the best player I played against, that Indian player is Sachin, even ahead of Sunny."

Lamb added, "The only thing I would have liked was to see Sachin play against the West Indies, where Sunny scored runs against the West Indies. He was probably the only Indian to score runs against those quicks," highlighting Gavaskar's exceptional record against formidable West Indies pace attacks.

Beyond the Tendulkar-Kohli debate, Lamb revealed his admiration for another Indian cricketer, his former Northamptonshire teammate, Kapil Dev.

"I loved the way Kapil Dev played. We played together at Northampton," Lamb shared. He fondly recalled Kapil Dev's dedication to improving his batting skills, saying, "I remember him coming over and me saying, 'Kapi, I'm so pleased that you've come over. We need to strengthen our bowling.' He said, 'No, I haven’t come to strengthen my bowling. I've come to better my batting. I've come here as a batsman,' which I always enjoyed."