I am sure neither Nasser Hussain's Indian background nor his lack of affinity with Australians had anything to do with his statement about Sachin Tendulkar being greater than Sir Donald Bradman.
We have grown up in the belief that no one could come near the great Australian, and Hussain's opinion has to be respected because he has been an international captain - a successful one too - but it is not an opinion which will be supported by even some of Tendulkar's most ardent fans.
Hussain said Tendulkar is a greater player than Sunil Gavaskar and Viv Richards.
Huge praise indeed, since Gavaskar played against some of the best fast-bowling attacks in his 16-year international career. Thirteen of his 34 Test hundreds came against the mighty West Indies and Richards decimated, demolished and destroyed attacks with powers of a sheer genius.
It is not Tendulkar's fault that he did not face the same quality attacks that Gavaskar and Richards did, but, the fact is, he did not. That said, only a fool would believe that he would not have had the measure of the express fast bowlers.
Dennis Lillee, arguably the greatest fast bowler of all-time, gave me one of the best quotes of all time about Tendulkar when I asked him during the India and Australia Test at Bangalore in 1998 how he would have bowled to the little Indian.
"With a helmet on," he said, just after watching Tendulkar score 177 against Mark Taylor's Australians for his second hundred of the three-Test series.
So why should Tendulkar not be rated higher than Bradman? Old timers would point to uncovered wickets which batsmen of yesteryear had to put up with.
Hussain can surely only shudder at the prospect of how challenging uncovered pitches in England would have been. The quality of both pace and spin were of a high standard, although one must stress that Bradman played only against England, India, South Africa and the West Indies.
A minimum amount of protective gear has to be a factor. A batsman's protective gear for the abdomen region was minimal in size, shape and probably protective value.
Tendulkar has also played under the intense pressure of an expectant India but Bradman experienced more than his fair share of pressure in the Bodyline series of 1932. Douglas Jardine, England's India-born captain, instructed his bowlers to persistently bowl round the wicket in an attempt to contain Bradman, who had taken England's bowlers apart in the previous series. But he stood up to the task, although his series average of 56.57 was way below his career average of 99.94.
It would be interesting to see if Tendulkar reacts to Hussain's claim. I suspect he will be embarrassed and leave the compliment in much the same way he would shoulder arms to a delivery outside off stump.
So, Mr Hussain, as much as you have made yourself popular with Indian fans, there is no guarantee your statement will attract universal approval. We will still enjoy your commentary and opinion pieces though.
Now, to that one-day double century last week. Not only did the South Africa attack comprise the world's finest fast bowler in Dale Steyn, the Proteas also pride themselves on their fielding. How someone could play that innings at the age of 37 against that quality of opposition is the amazing part of the feat. Some of the Indian newspapers had "God" in their headlines the following day. Little did those headline writers know the fascinating exchange the Little Master had encountered with some star-stuck fans the previous night. As Tendulkar made his way to the media conference in Gwalior a group of fans yelled: "We have seen our God."
Tendulkar is believed to have stopped, smiled and replied: "I am not God. I am just a human being."
Tendulkar's greatest gift is the ability to stay grounded and he has his upbringing to thank for that. When we spoke some time after midnight following the Gwalior innings, he shocked me by saying that he had not been celebrating.
And in his message to his fans, who have good reason to believe that there is more brilliant performances in store, he said: "All I can say is, the passion is still there. I will always go out and give my best and whatever has to happen will happen. From my side, there won't be a lack of commitment."
Cricket has proved several times it can be cruel and players have come out saying that there is no justice in the game. Tendulkar's latest record ridicules that theory because it could not have happened to a better player. Bradman does not fall into the one-day category. How he would have coped with the rigours of limited-overs cricket one would never know.
Just like Tendulkar is no Bradman, the legendary Australian cannot be a Tendulkar.
Clayton Murzello is the Group Sports Editor of the Indian newspaper Midday
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The National's picks
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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Founder: Namrata Raina
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Sector: E-commerce
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Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
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The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
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Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
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Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
