Saj from PakPassion.net was present to watch some of the legends play in the MCC v Rest of the World game at Lord's - these are his memories of this occasion.

By Saj Sadiq (6th July, 2014)

If somebody had said to me that one day I would be stood on the hallowed turf of Lord's cricket ground a few metres away from Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Rahul Dravid and others, I would have laughed at them and stated they were in need of some mental therapy! But as luck would have it, that is exactly what occurred at the Home of Cricket on Saturday 5th July 2014 as the MCC faced the Rest of the World in a match organised to celebrate Lord's 200 year anniversary.

The two days of cricketing action began with a drive to Lord's for Friday's practice session ahead of the match itself. Despite having watched cricket for many years, the anticipation was there as were the butterflies. Upon arrival at Lord's, my family and I had the pleasure of a close-up viewing of Sachin Tendulkar in the nets. Amongst the bowlers that Sachin was facing was his son Arjun who was bowling left arm medium pace under the watchful and guiding eye of his father.

As I walked around the practice areas I could see some of cricket's past and present heroes preparing for practice and net sessions. Lara, Dravid, Brett Lee could be seen sharing jokes and memories of yesteryear. This was where the best of the best came together - this really was the Who's Who of cricket!

As I returned to near the nets I noticed Sachin Tendulkar was chatting with a friend of his having finished his batting practice. My wife and daughters were sat nearby and I could see that they were itching to get Sachin's autograph and a picture with him. When Sachin finished chatting with his friend he smiled at my family and stated that it would be fine for a few pictures and autographs which made my family's day as they are huge fans of his. Sachin was very humble and really friendly which didn't surprise me at all.

As one legend moved on, another was nearby, this time Brian Lara walked over and smiled. He was posing for pictures and signing autographs and chatting to friends and family of his who had travelled to the UK with him from Trinidad. I noticed that he was chatting with my family and posing for pictures with them. As I returned to my family, my daughter stated in a very excited voice "I just had my picture taken with Brian Lara, he was so friendly." It was one of those days, legends and big names everywhere.

Virender Sehwag sat nearby, Kevin Pietersen not far away, Brett Lee stretching his hamstrings, Yuvraj Singh in one net, Adam Gilchrist in the other net. Murali bowling to Rahul Dravid, .....I was like a child in a sweet shop. A short while later Adam Gilchrist put on the wicket-keeper's gloves and Shane Warne limbered up to bowl to him. After a couple of looseners the familiar sound of 'well bowled Warney' started to ring out from Adam Gilchrist. Watching Gilly keep wicket at close quarters was really interesting leading a gentlemen stood by me to say "you never forget how to ride a bike."

Generally practice sessions can be rather tedious but this was something special purely for the names that were present. What was noticeable was just how well the batsmen some of who had retired and not played any competitive cricket were timing the ball. Lara's trademark square cuts, the Tendulkar on drive, the Dravid cover drive all made much appreciated appearances.

The match itself on Saturday won't last long in the memory, but this was more to do with the occasion than runs and wickets. Yuvraj Singh, Saeed Ajmal and Aaron Finch can be proud of their individual efforts and entertained the crowd. Saeed was in phenomenal form with the ball and his captain Sachin Tendulkar took pity on the opposition after a four wicket burst from the off-spinner. Tendulkar's intervention by removing Ajmal from the attack resulted in a high-scoring contest, otherwise if Ajmal had continued with the ball, the match could have ended as a one-sided damp squib.

Fans from all over the world sang for their heroes, applauded players from countries they would normally never cheer for. This was epitomised by Saeed Ajmal heading to deep fine leg and being loudly cheered by fans predominantly in blue Indian shirts. It felt as if this was some strange cricketing fantasy land we had been exported to.

Looking around the ground it was an occasion where fans cheered for every boundary, every dismissal and standing ovations were a plenty. The fans did not take sides just appreciated some good cricket. The loudest cheers were for Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara though and even Rahul Dravid received a standing ovation from the members despite a golden duck. Yuvraj Singh danced as the crowd sang his name, Murali smiled away as the packed stands applauded his every move and the other cricketers savoured the adulation they were receiving.

The match at Lord's will from a personal perspective be remembered for a long time. The day wasn't about the cricket, rather about the player's that were present and what some of them had achieved individually and for the great game of cricket.

As I left Lord's and headed for the exit, an elderly gentleman said to me with a tear in his eye "that wasn't about today's match, rather it was all about the memories that some of those players have given us and left us with."

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