The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rechristened the Test series between India and England as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, paying tribute to two titans of the sport, ahead of the five-match Test series. The series was previously known as the Pataudi Trophy, named after former Indian captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Reacting to the honour of having the trophy named after him alongside the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, England’s pace bowling icon James Anderson said he feels “completely out of place” for his name being taken alongside Tendulkar. He called it an honour to be associated with “one of the greatest cricketers to have ever lived.”

“It’s not necessarily just how huge it is to have a trophy named after you, but alongside Sachin Tendulkar, who, for me, is one of the greatest ever cricketers to have lived. I feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. I hold him in such high regard,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

“I watched him as a kid, played against him. He’s just such an iconic cricketer who’s carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders throughout his career and past it as well. So, to share something like this with him is an incredible honour.”

Anderson is the highest wicket-taking pacer in Test cricket with 704 wickets, and ranks third overall in the format’s history behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. Tendulkar, on the other hand, is the highest run-scorer in Test cricket, having played 200 Tests and scored 15,847 runs.

Anderson also reflected on the legacy he has created as a pacer but admitted feeling detached from it. “It is strange that when people talk about what I have achieved in cricket, like when I hear about it, it’s as if someone’s talking about someone else—if that makes sense—like I don’t feel it is me who has achieved all this,” he said. Anderson announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year.