File image of Michael Clarke
Former Australian captain and a World Cup winner, Michael Clarke on Tuesday named not one, but seven greatest batsmen he has played against or with. He took the names during an interaction with Big Sports Breakfast. The list comprises two from India and South Africa and one each from Australia, West Indies and Sri Lanka.
The two Indians include present Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his idol, Sachin Tendulkar. While he hailed Kohli as the present best across the three formats, he praised Sachin to be the most technically-sound batsman he has come across.
“Probably technically the best batsman I ever saw. The hardest batsman to get out. I think Sachin, technically, didn’t have a weakness. Part of you hoped that he made a mistake," said Clarke while taking about the batsman with 100 international centuries.
And when talking about the cricketer most touted to break the aforementioned tally of hundreds, Clarke said, "I think right now the best batsman across all three formats. His one day and twenty twenty records are phenomenal and he’s also found a way to dominate Test cricket. What Kohli and Tendulkar have in common is they love making big hundreds.”
Earlier in the day, Clarke made headlines when he reckoned that Australian cricket went though a phase where all vfeared to sledge Kohli in hope to not jeopardise with their IPL contracts.
“Everybody knows how powerful India are in regards to the financial part of the game, internationally or domestically with the IPL,” Clarke said. “I feel that Australian cricket, and probably every other team over a little period, went the opposite and actually sucked up to India. They were too scared to sledge Kohli or the other Indian players because they had to play with them in April.”
Meanwhile, the other five batters from Clarke's list includes: AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis from South Africa, Australia's Ricky Ponting, Windies legend Brian Lara and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara.
