Tendulkar leads Richards' top ODI batsmen list

St. John’s (Antigua), Feb 1 (IANS) West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards Sunday said Sachin Tendulkar would lead his list of top-10 One-Day International (ODI) batsmen of all time.

In a column written for the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, Richards said it would be the former Indian batting great who would undoubtedly be sitting at the top of his list.

“The first name that comes to mind is Sachin Tendulkar. In a single word, I would describe him as a legend. He has always been one of my favourite batsmen and I would pay money to watch him bat. He wasn’t the biggest in size amongst other cricketers of the world but all good things come in small packages. And he was a fantastic batsman," said Richards.

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Richards, who was part of the 1975 and 1979 West Indies' World Cup winning squads, also rated Brian Lara in Tendulkar's league.

“I rate Brian Lara the same as Sachin. I would pay to watch him bat too and then pay again and again, and keep paying, however many times it needs to be done,” he said.

The 62-year-old’s list of batsmen who he would pay to watch also featured current India Test skipper Virat Kohli at No.10. The former right-handed batsman termed Kohli as "legendary", saying the choice would surprise many but that everyone is witnessing a master who is just going to get better with time.

“The last name on my list, but not the least by any means, is young Virat Kohli. There might be some surprise regarding this pick because he is very young and has a lot of cricket to play still,” Richards said.

“But in my eyes, he is already legendary and there cannot be any doubt about that. He is simply magnificent in whatever little time he has played as compared to others. He is only going to get better and better and add to his list of achievements.”

Also in the list are West Indies' Chris Gayle and Clive Llyod, Australia’s Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey, India’s Virender Sehwag and South Africa’s AB de Villiers.