Former South Africa pacer Shaun Pollock has hailed Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman of his generation.
See More - Viv Richards best I have seen but Virat Kohli pushing the debate: Shane Warne
In a career spanning 24 years, Tendulkar played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs for India, scoring the world record number of runs (15921 in Tests and 18426 in ODIs) and centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).
He also holds the record for being the first man to score 10,000 runs in ODI cricket, first batsman to score 100 international centuries, first male cricketer to score a double ton in ODIs, most matches played in both formats and other numerous milestones.
The aforementioned record speaks volume of his greatness itself but for Pollock, it was Sachin’s understanding of the game and his adjustability in various situations that separate him from the rest.
"It was how well he understood his game and how he would adjust. He talked to me once about going to Australia and understanding he couldn’t take on the short-pitched deliveries anymore so he would ramp the ball over the wicketkeeper and slip," Pollock told Sky Sports.
Sharing his experience of bowling to Tendulkar, the ex-Proteas skipper added: "There were times, especially in the subcontinent, where you thought, ‘I’m not sure we can knock this guy over’. We were hoping he would make a mistake, rather than had a genuine plan.”
In the same programme, former West Indies speedster Michael Holding rated his fellow countryman Sir Vivian Richards as the best batsman in the history of the game.
"Viv is the best batsman I have seen against anything and everything," Holding opined. "He never looked intimidated. Richard Hadlee in New Zealand, Dennis Lillee in Australia, Abdul Qadir in Pakistan, Bishan Bedi in India. Ian Botham in England. He got runs against anybody and everybody.
"As he was batting at No 3 for West Indies, I often saw him watch the first couple of overs, get a visual picture, and then go and sleep.”
Richards represented West Indies in 121 Tests, scoring 8,540 runs at 50.23 with the help of 24 centuries and 45 fifties. He also proved his mettle in white-ball cricket, amassing 6721 ODI runs from 187 games at a remarkable average and strike-rate of 47 and 90.20 respectively.
Viv was also voted as one of the five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts in 2000, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne.
