English cricket writer Simon Hughes has claimed that Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is better than the greatest batsman of all time, Sir Donald Bradman.
Hughes made the claims in his column in the Daily Telegraph.
"Tendulkar's versatility, longevity and productivity are so far ahead of his closest rival in the game. Just as Don Bradman's Test average of 99.94 was more than 50 per cent better than anyone else, so Tendulkar's tally of 99 international hundreds is similarly out of reach of his nearest competitor, Ricky Ponting, who has 69," Hughes wrote.
"When you factor in Tendulkar's prowess in all countries and all conditions - averaging around 50 in every major country apart from Pakistan - and the burden of expectation of a billion people, he must be regarded as the best ever."
"Bradman was extraordinary, but he only ever played in Australia and England. Bradman watched Tendulkar bat, famously saying that the way he fashioned runs reminded him of himself. Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman who ever took guard," he added.
Hughes's claims come as the 37-year-old prepares for his second World Cup final, against Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
He has scored 464 runs in eight matches at this World Cup, including two hundreds and two fifties.
While his overall Test average of 56.94 pales into insignificance when compared to Bradman's 99.94, Tendulkar's 99 international centuries dwarf Bradman's mark of 29 tons.
However, in Tests, Tendulkar's ratio is roughly one century per 3.5 matches, while Bradman's figure is much sharper at 1.8.
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