Sachin Tendulkar is my cricketing idol, says teen England batsman Haseeb Hameed
19-year-old batsman Haseeb Hameed will be making his international debut in England’s tour of Bangladesh, taking the place of Alex Hales who pulled out of the tournament due to security reasons.
The teenager, who opens for Lancashire, calls Sachin Tendulkar his cricketing idol.
But when asked about which cricketer he has looked up to when becoming one himself, he quickly replied, "Growing up it was Sachin Tendulkar. More recently I’d say my modern day heroes are Virat Kohli and Joe Root.”
Hameed, whose batting style has drawn similarities with Geoffrey Boycott, has scored 1,154 runs for Lancashire, marked by four centuries at an average of 52.45.
Also Read: Gareth Batty earns recall, Ben Duckett, Haseeb Hameed new faces in England's squad for Bangladesh tour
"It's funny because Boycott was one of my dad's role models growing up so maybe it has something to do with that," said Hameed.
If the tour to Bangladesh goes as planned, Hameed will become the country’s youngest player, a record previously held by Ben Hollioake in 1997, and the fifth-youngest in cricketing history.
The youngster is wary of the challenges that he will face in international cricket, "I am sure Test bowlers might target me. But the same principles apply. I have to control what I can and give myself the best chance to go out there and succeed and that means preparing well. But if you look at me I'm not as physically developed as other guys so I rely a lot on timing and patience and spending time at the crease,” he explained.
Hameed, the son of an Indian-born cricket fan who moved to the Lancashire town of Bolton, did not miss out on thanking his father Ismail who helped him get this far.
Also Read: Haseeb Hameed - The young talent who did not allow adversities to bring him down
"My dad has been the one who has taught me everything I know and even to this day we work together; it is as much about the mental side as the cricketing side."
The young cricketer, who has an old-fashioned style of playing cricket, already has found his name in the book of records. He became the first Lancashire player to produce a century in each innings of a Roses Match. He was also the youngest in the post-War era to win a Lancashire county cap.
Hameed also dreams to be a part of England’s world cup winning and Ashes-winning team. He will be the youngest player in the Bangladesh-England series.