SACHIN TENDULKAR

The Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is a cricketing phenomenon. He scored a century on his first class debut for Bombay at the age of 15, and was picked for his country while still only a 16-year old schoolboy. Now aged 37, he is still going strong. He holds the record for the most number of test matches played (171), the most runs scored (14,240 and counting) and the most centuries (49). His career test average is 56.96, the highest of any current player, and the tenth highest of all time (apart from the incredible Don Bradman, who had a career average of 99.94, just three cricketers have averages of over 60, and a further five above Tendulkar in the 50's).

However, he doesn't just reign supreme in the 5-day test arena, he is also brilliant at the one-day game (though comparisons with earlier times are impossible, since the 1-day game didn't get going until the 1970's). Again, he holds the records for the most international matches played (442, even though he doesn't always get picked nowadays), the most runs scored (17,598) and the most centuries (46). His career average of 45.12 is the eleventh best of all time.

Many great batsmen decline in form as they get older, as their reactions slow. The West Indian Viv Richards ended his career with an average of just over 50 - the mark of the truly great batsman - after many years in which it was closer to 60. Current Australian captain Ricky Ponting's average rose almost to the magical 60 a couple of years ago, but has since declined to below 55. Tendulkar himself had a pretty lean patch - by his standards - between 2002 and 2007, during which time a number of commentators urged him to retire. However, he has since come back with a vengeance, and has just been chosen as the International Cricket Council's cricketer of the year. In the recent 2-match series against Australia, which India won 2-0, he was man of the match in the second test, and man of the series, having scored more than 400 runs at the astonishing average of 134.5. Those records of his look like they will get even bigger.

Walter Blotscher