Talent should be preferred over age while selecting a national team, believes Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar, who has been in touch with the sport of cricket post his retirement, recently launched the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy, for young cricket aspirants. The academy began with the launch of its first cricket camp at Merchant Taylor’s School in Northwood on August 6. In an interview during the opening of the academy when asked about England encouraging youngsters like the 20-year-old Sam Curran and now batsman Ollie Pope, Tendulkar stated that talent should be preferred over age while selecting someone in the national team.

“If someone is good, then he/she should be selected in the national team and age should not be a criteria. Talent should be preferred over age,” Tendulkar said, reported Cricinfo.

Tendulkar, who made his debut as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in 1989, said that not knowing the danger of facing the best bowling line-up at that time helped him perform the way he did.

“When I played my first game, I was only 16. In a way, it helped as I didn’t know what it was like to face the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and Abdul Qadir. Possibly the best bowling attack at the stage,” Tendulkar recalled.

“You only see one side of the coin as you are young and fearless but with experience and maturity, you tend to learn from the hardships and balance things out. There are going to be tough moments, they (Curran and Pope) will have to face it, but that’s what you play for."

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