New Delhi: Former Australia pacer Brett Lee picked Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman the game has seen and he opted to name former Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis as the most complete cricketer the game has seen.
Lee was doing an Instagram live session with former Zimbabwe pacer Pommie Mbangwa and it was then that the former Australian pacer was asked to name the batsmen who played him the best.
"You think of Sachin Tendulkar, it just looked like he had more time, the best way to explain the meaning of time in cricket is that it felt like Sachin was batting on the return crease, batting next to the stumps, it just felt like he had more time to play against me, in my opinion he is the best batsman in the world," Lee told Mbangwa.
"Then you go onto Brian Lara, he was so flambuoyant, it did not matter how quick you bowled against him, he could smash you in six different areas on the ground, Lara and Sachin have to neck and beck when you talk about greatest batsmen. In my opinion, Sachin is the best batsman, but the greatest complete cricketer in my opinion has to be Jacques Kallis," he added.
Kallis played 166 Tests, 328 ODIs and 25 T20Is for South Africa and he is often viewed as the greatest all-rounder the game has seen. Many pundits of the game find it hard to pick between him and Sir Garfield Sobers.
Across his career, Kallis scored 25,534 runs in his career and he also managed to take 577 wickets. When you talk about Tendulkar, he has the most number of runs in the longest format of the game, amassing 15,921 runs. Along the way, Tendulkar scored 51 Test centuries, most by any player.
Things are no different in ODI cricket as Tendulkar atop the list of most runs in this format as well. He has accumulated 18,426 runs in ODI which includes 49 tons.
Tendulkar represented the country in six World Cups during his career that lasted for 24 years. He was the part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad. The left-handed Lara is still viewed as one of the most flamboyant batsmen the game has ever seen.
The veteran had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2007. He finished his career with 22,358 runs and 53 international centuries.
Lara played a knock of 400 runs against England in the fourth Test of the four-match series in 2004 at the Antigua Recreation Stadium and it still remains as the highest individual score in Test cricket.
Lara also holds the record for highest individual score ever in first-class cricket (501 not out). In 1994, playing for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston, Lara scored 501 not out.
