Pakistani cricketers hail Tendulkar146;s record breaking feat

8220;I am very happy to see Sachin achieve this record. I have been waiting for it because it is a pleasure watching him bat. He has brought a lot of joy to, not only Indians, but cricket fans the world over,8221; Hanif said.

Hanif, who himself was known as the 8220;little master8221; for his concentration and ability to make big scores, said Tendulkar still had cricket left in him and can continue playing for a year or two.

8220;He is still hungry for runs and he is batting superbly even now. I think only he can decide when he must retire but for now he has done the subcontinent proud,8221; he said.

He rated Tendulkar and West Indian great Lara as close to Don Bradman in terms of their achievements.

Miandad, who remains Pakistan8217;s highest test run-getter with 8832 runs, said he had always admired Tendulkar as a batsman and his ability to stay focused on his game in such a long career.

8220;I am not surprised he got to the record today. Records are meant to be broken but this one is special because it shows the enduring qualities of Sachin8217;s batting,8221; Miandad said.

8220;He stands apart because he is a true professional and can take pressure,8221; he added.

Miandad played in the Test against India at Karachi in November, 1989 in which Tendulkar made his debut and said even then he had realised Tendulkar was destined for greater things as he was very composed while facing a fierce bowling attack.

8220;He was a teenager but he was very composed and calm and although he didn8217;t score many runs we all felt he was a different class from others.8221; Abbas said people who compared Tendulkar and Lara and commented that the former was not a match winner were mistaken.

8220;Tendulkar is a superb player of any bowling and under any conditions. The way he has kept on scoring runs all these years proves his staying power and world class quality. He truly deserved this record and honour,8221; said Abbas, known as the 8220;Asian Bradman8221; for his run making qualities.

Former captain and wicketkeeper, Latif said he had learnt a lot watching Tendulkar bat from behind the stumps.

8220;There is no doubt about his greatness as a batsman and he is also a very good human being. I learnt seeing him bat and guide the other batsmen with whom he batted.8221; Latif, however, felt that Tendulkar had reached 12,000 runs two years late.

8220;He has been under pressure for a while now and he has come out firing everytime. I think he can continue playing for another two years. He should decide when is the best time to go because it would be sad if he was also forced to leave like some other former greats in acrimonious circumstances,8221; he said.

Sohail said Tendulkar is still the top batsman in the Indian team in terms of sheer performance.

8220;I think this record today shows he is still up there on dent of his performances. He has been and has remained a pure run machine,8221; Sohail said.

Malik said he was just proud that Tendulkar had brought the Test record to Asia and the subcontinent.

8220;I have always enjoyed watching him bat when in full flow. I wish him the best for the future.8221; Javed, who figures in many a battles against Tendulkar, said the master blaster deserved the record.

8220;He is the best batsman I have bowled too and I am really happy he has broken the record.8221; Kaneria said he had played a number of Tests against India in the last four years and bowling to Tendulkar was always a challenge.

8220;I enjoyed his wicket the most because of his sheer greatness as a batsman. It is no surprise he is now a record holder. He is really one of the top batsmen around even now,8221; he said.

Asif was of the view that India8217;s last tour to Australia has seen the rebirth of Tendulkar.

8220;The way he played there he showed it was all rubbish that he had become fallible to the short pitched ball. I think no batsmen has scored so consistently in every second match like he has done. It was a great experience bowling to him,8221; he said.