12 December,2010 02:15 AM IST | | Correspondent
Sir Vivian Richards reckoned that no other contemporary cricketer can come anywhere close to India maestro Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable achievements.
Richards said it was only a matter of time before Tendulkar scripts history by becoming the first cricketer to score 50 Test centuries. "He can certainly achieve that (scoring 50 Test centuries). I think the way the games are going at present, it would be very difficult for anyone to break that record. He is way ahead of others," Richards said in an interview to PTI on Saturday.
Richards, one of the most destructive batsman of his era, said that only Australian captain Ricky Ponting had a slim chance of coming anywhere near Tendulkar's records The closest guy who would come to that may be Ricky (Ponting).
"But the way things are going on in Australia, they are calling for his head, so I don't know really know how long he will be around. He is the only individual I think who could be close to Sachin's record. But I think it would be hard to surpass," he said.
Richards attributed Tendulkar's longevity to the way he has conducted himself right through his career and his discipline among other things. "Tendulkar is 37, still going great. It's all about how you have conducted yourself. I guess there were times when it looked pretty doubtful with injuries, starting with the back, would have most certainly affected his career but it is due to persistence, dedication, discipline and confidence that you survive for so long," he explained.
