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[caption id="attachment_42758" align="alignnone" width="580"] The North West Stand of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium will be named after Sachin Tendulkar. Image Source: Xtra Time[/caption] Internet Desk: His popularity in the world of cricket is an understatement. Even after leaving cricket for six years and 22 days, the living legend called Sachin Tendulkar continues to enthrall the fans worldwide. The standing ovations he got at the cricket grounds all over the world are a testimony to his great batsman ship. The chant of “ Sachin Sachin” has become an euphoria. Perhaps the best gift that the master blaster would have hoped to receive on his 44^th birthday was that The North West Stand of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium will be named after Indian batting maestro. Chairman of the Sports Company of T&T Michael Phillips confirmed recently that the stand would be named after Tendulkar when the facility is officially opened next month and insisted that the decision was one that was made after consultation with Brian Lara. Tendulkar will fly down to Tarouba in Trinidad on May 13 for the inauguration of the Brian Lara Stadium. Both Tendulkar and Lara share the best of friendship since their cricketing days. Two of the biggest cricketing legends will be playing against each other in different teams at the venue. The match is played on the eve of the grand opening of the stadium. It took 12 years for The Tarouba stadium to come into existence. The initial budget of the stadium was $275 million. It was expected to be completed before the 2007 ODI World Cup but due to lacklustre approach, the work was stalled.Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara have been the crowd favourites for years. Even after their retirement, they continue to rule hearts. “Our decision to name the stand after Mr Tendulkar was done on the advice of Mr Brian Lara. We have included Mr Lara in our decision making process in terms of how we roll out the launch and management of both the stadium and the academy,” Phillips said. Phillips said it was also one of the reasons that they were able to convince Tendulkar to attend the opening and play in the match carded for the opening. Tendulkar is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game. He played 200 Test matches, the most by any player in the history of the game, he scored 15,921 Test runs, at an average of 53.78. He holds the record for the most number of runs in Test cricket and the most number of centuries. For most of his career he was in competition with Lara for the accolade of the best batsman in the world. Lara is the holder for the most runs in a single Test Innings 400 not out and the highest individual score in cricket of 501 not out.