Sachin Tendulkar ~ greatest cricket player ? No..., never

Statistics is a damn fool thing. It does not show true value. It unfairly crowns someone undeserving as the king. It tells only half the truth. It is not dependable to take it as yardstick to compare performances of sportsmen.

Who is the greatest ever footballer, tennis player, boxer, or cricketer ? You will never get satisfactory answer.

Lets discuss about the so-called greatest ever batsman in the world of cricket. If you are an Indian, chances are you will jump skyward and shout "Sachin Tendulkar!!". I am also an Indian but I will not. He is simply NOT the greatest batsman ever.

Yes, Sachin Tendulkar is the richest cricketer, he has amassed far more runs than any other cricketer in history, he is also one of the longest playing cricketers, and he has been immensely popular sportsman in India. Yes, despite being so famous he has been modest all his career. He is absolutely gentle. But how many matches he has won for India ? Has he ever been a cause of fear in the hearts of a bowler ? Could he fittingly face the dangerous pace of Michael Holding, Marshall, Roberts, Joel Garner, Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee, Bruce Reid ( without those protective gears such as helmet etc. ) ??? Redoubtable !





Every decade has seen some great batsmen incomparable to those of other decades. In whatever way you judge great batsmen in history, you always have got to take into account the names of Sunil Gavaskar, Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Vivian Richards.

The most technically correct batsman in the history of cricket is Sunil Gavaskar. No scope for debate.

The most fearsome batsman in history is the one and only great Vivian Richards. Can Sachin dare to strike killer paceman Dennis Lillee out of the ground without wearing a helmet and on an Australian raw pitch ?

The most classical batsman in history ?? Of course, Brian Lara. Being a left-hander makes him more so. The kinds of strokes he played are simply out of the world. When facing spin bowling, he actually dances back and forth. What a classical scene !

And your great Don Bradman. Great simply because of averages. Played mostly against England. Interesting to think how he could face the vicious sharp-turning spin of Murulitharan. Or the banana swing of Washim Akram !

All the above batsmen are greats in some respects.

When you choose one of them for your team, I am 100% sure you will opt for Vivian Richards. The only batsman in history capable of tearing apart any kinds of bowling in any era ( without helmet or other protective gears !! ).

So who is the greatest ? Ask your heart. Without being over patriotic!