Dubi, Nov 30 : West Indies cricketer Brian Lara has described the Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as the 'Don Bradman' of modern era but refused to the compare the two icons.
Lara, himself a legendary left-handed batsman from the Caribbean, said what astonishes him the most about Tendulkar is his longevity.
"I don't think there is any race. Both are great players. Tendulkar has shown the world what he is capable of and his longevity in the game is something to be really appreciated," Lara said.
"The time he will spend in the game, records are going to tumble. The fact that someone can be there from the age of 16 and still at the age of 37 perform brilliantly is something that I cherish more than anything else," he said.
Lara is of the opinion that Don Bradman who ended his career with an incredible Test average of 99.96, and Tendulkar should not be compared as they played and flourished in different eras.
"He is our period's Don Bradman. Forget the difference in averages with Bradman but whoever I have spoken to who have seen very old players in action, they believe that he (Bradman) would not have averaged 99 in today's cricket.
"So I believe that Sachin is our period's Bradman," Lara, who visited Dubai for a jewelry brand endorsement, told Gulf News.
Lara said he has just got back into cricket by playing three games in a Twenty20 tournament in Zimbabwe.
He also denied reports that he is going to work as a Zimbabwean coach but said he will be helping them in the batting department.
He said he is fanatical about golf these days. "I love the game and have been working hard to bring my handicap down to five. I would love to get it a bit more lower. I spent a lot of time today at the Ernie Els Golf Course," he said.
