Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has rated Sachin Tendulkar above his countryman and current Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is in prolific form currently across all three formats of the game.
While effusively praising Kohil’s stellar performances, the 42-year-old Lahore-born right-handed batsman Yousuf expressed Master Blaster Tendulkar had faced the best bowlers during his time and produced some special knocks for his side.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Kohli. He is an exceptional talent. But I rate Tendulkar much higher because of the era he played in, against the best teams, fast bowlers and spinners,” Yousuf was quoted as saying by PTI.
Yousuf, who played 288 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan, said he witnessed Tendulkar performing at crucial junctures for his team.
“I played a lot against Tendulkar and he was a masterclass and produced match-winning knocks many a times. I don’t think Kohli is facing the same quality bowlers or opposition,” Yousuf added.
The debate fuelled on who’s the best batsman after Virat Kohli set a tune with 122-run knock against England in the opener of the three-match ODI series at Pune.
“Nowadays, the quality of players is not the same as it was, say, in the 90s and until 2011. After the 2011 World Cup, the quality has come down,” Yousuf remarked.
At the age of 28, Kohli has also equalled the record of 17 hundreds set by Tendulkar in a successful run-chase.
“Tendulkar was a world-class player and this can be judged by the number of runs and hundreds he scored against strong opposition in all conditions and in all formats,” Yousuf said on Tendulkar.
However, the Delhi-born batsman Kohli earlier stated that he should not be compared with his idol as it’s unfair on his part.
“I might not play that long (24 years). 200 Tests, 100 international centuries. Those are incredible numbers and will be impossible to achieve. But yes, I want to make a difference and always believe that I must leave the game on a better note,” Kohi said in an interview with BCCI.tv.
Given his form, Kohli would be turning the tables to set new records in near future,
A sweet-timer of the ball, Kohli has played 177 ODIs in which he has scored 7692 runs at an average of 53.41. He is currently sitting on 27 centuries and 38 half-centuries.