Tendulkar best: Harvey

CHENNAI, March 7: Another great of yesteryear credited Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest batsman in contemporary cricket. Australia8217;s Neil Harvey opined: quot;I think Sachin is the best player on view today and would end up with a tally that may be difficult to surpass. Remember, the great Sir Don Bradman rated Sachin as somebody closest to his style of batting.quot;

Harvey 8212; his career between 1948-1963 earned him 21 centuries and 6149 runs from 79 Tests 8212; did not see anyone beyond Shane Warne as the best leg-spinner of all times. quot;I rate Bill O8217;Reilly and Warne to be the two finest leggies of all times. Warne can bowl six different balls in an over. And as the only one who can bowl the flipper, he has a distinct edge over others of his ilk.quot;

Excerpts from an interview:

Memories of the first tied Test in Brisbane: quot;But for the grass not being cut, the Test would have been over when Ian Meckiff swung one to deep mid-wicket. The ball slowed down allowing Conrad Hunte to bang in a throw bang-onfrom 90 yards.quot;The best batsmen of his time: quot;Sir Len Hutton, Denis Compton and Peter May and Dudley Nourse were all great players. Among Indians, Lala Amarnath and Vijay Hazare were the two best while Keith Miller as an all-rounder was just a rung below the greatest, Sir Gary Sobers.quot;

The present Australian side: quot;It8217;s no patch on the Australian side of the 8217;40s. We had so many genuine all-rounders that the side believed that no target was beyond their reach.quot;