The Little Master

[JunkyardMember]

Hes not the Don but certainly the greatest of our time with a nod to Lara who played in a dire team

[camo16Member]

It’s been coming… talk of Tendulkar’s imminent retirement was all over coverage of the Champions League 20/20. Still, sad to see one of the great batting legends sheathing his willow for the last time. 🙁

[camo16Member]

Hes not the Don

Really? At times, he’s got the look of the Don…

[dannyhMember]

A truly wonderul player – obviously in the top 5 batters of all time. A red-hot fielder (by early 90s India standards anyway) in his younger years, and a useful occasional bowler as well. I still remember the Indians taking it to the Aussies on home soil in 2001. The Aussies at their ‘Steve Waugh mafia’ swaggering worst playing great cricket but being done over by India.

My abiding memory of that series is not Harbhajan or VVS Laxman, but Sachin bowling Shane Warne neck and crop with a googly that he didn’t pick!

Bradman is still tops (uncovered wickets and a test average of 99.94 WTF!). I would put Viv Richards ahead of Tendulkar, just. I would put Sachin ahead of Lara, though.

Honourable mention to Garry Sobers, though, could also bowl left arm quick swinging the ball round corners, orthodox left-arm finger spin and chinamen as well. And a single handicap golfer left AND right handed if memory serves me!

[CaptainFlashheartMember]

Thanks, Sachin. Just about the finest batsman to ever play the game.

[CaptainFlashheartMember]

Maw picthers here;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/15641803

[meftyMember]

Sadly I never saw him play one of his great innings as almost all of my live watching is at Lords where he never really got going. Where he stands in the pantheon of great batsmen will no doubt be debated vigorously but it is pretty futile. However, I don’t think there has ever been a sportsman who has carried the burden of so many peoples’ expectations. The dignity with which he has done this means, in my view, he stands alone.

[CaptainFlashheartMember]

However, I don’t think there has ever been a sportsman who has carried the burden of so many peoples’ expectations. The dignity with which he has done this means, in my view, he stands alone.

It’s him or Cathy Freeman for that title, but yes. Agreed.

[meftyMember]

Whilst having huge respect for Freeman’s achievement, I really don’t think it is even close – India’s population is 50 times that of Australia and their fanaticism for cricket has to be seen to be understood – I was in India during 1999 World Cup and I was simply stunned (and absolutely delighted) to see it.

[CaptainFlashheartMember]

True. I suppose my point re Freeman was that (IMHO) the collective guilt of Australia as a nation re the Aborigines sat upon her shoulders.