MUMBAI: The cricket world may be going ga ga over Sachin Tendulkar but West Indian legend Gary Sobers rates Sunil Gavaskar as the greatest batsman he has ever seen, simply because of his stupendous success against the fearsome Caribbean pacers of the 1970s.
“It’s my approach, my view that Sunny Gavaskar is the greatest batsman I have come across. He has opened the innings against genuine fast bowlers like Michael Holding, (Andy) Roberts, (Colin) Croft and (Joel) Garner. He has made more runs away from India – in the West Indies, Australia and England,” Sobers told said.
Gavaskar had a fairytale 1971 debut in the Caribbean where he amassed 774 runs at 154.80 in the series, which made him the subject of a Calypso song.
“This is not to belittle players like Vivian (Richards) Brian (Lara) or Sachin (Tendulkar). When you talk of Sachin he has done all that was expected of him,” said the 73-year-old Barbadian who is widely considered as the greatest ever all-rounder the game has seen.
Sobers, who is here as the chief guest at a function to honour the epoch-making 1971 team under Ajit Wadekar today as the feat enters its 40th year, felt it was wrong to compare players of different eras who have played under conditions that vastly differed. (Yahoo Sport)