Describing Sachin Tendukar as the 'Kohinoor' of cricket, former captains Kapil Dev and Ajit Wadekar said he should be conferred the Bharat Ratna -- India's highest civilian award.
"Sachin is the Kohinoor diamond of the game of cricket. This cricketer has unmatched talent and you can't find another Tendulkar ever. I think, he should have got the Bharat Ratna," Wadekar told PTI Bhasha.
India's only World Cup winning captain, Kapil Dev, also supported Wadekar's view and said Tendulkar deserved the honour very much.
"Sachin has touched several milestones during his 20-year career in international cricket. He certainly deserves the Bharat Ratna. We will be very happy if he gets the highest honour of the country," Kapil said.
Kapil, though, said his views would be the same even if Tendulkar had not achieved the feat of scoring the first ODI double hundred.
"Even if Sachin would have got a duck in this innings, I would still say that he deserves the honour. No decision should be taken on the basis of a performance in one match, but I am keeping in mind his overall contribution," he said.
Another former captain and former selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar echoed the same sentiment.
"If any player deserves the Bharat Ratna, it must be Tendulkar. He must get the award," he said.
Wadekar also hoped that Tendulkar would continue to play even after the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"Sachin has proved with his fielding how fit still he is. I think, he can play for at least two more years after the World Cup next year."
Wadekar, who has also worked with Tendulkar as coach of the national team, supported the view of former England captain Nasser Hussain that Tendulkar was better than even Don Bradman, the iconic Australian batsman.
"I don't think any batsman can be better than Tendulkar, not even Bradman. Sachin has succeeded in all three forms of cricket -- Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20s," Wadekar said.
"Sachin is the Kohinoor diamond of the game of cricket. This cricketer has unmatched talent and you can't find another Tendulkar ever. I think, he should have got the Bharat Ratna," Wadekar told PTI Bhasha.
India's only World Cup winning captain, Kapil Dev, also supported Wadekar's view and said Tendulkar deserved the honour very much.
"Sachin has touched several milestones during his 20-year career in international cricket. He certainly deserves the Bharat Ratna. We will be very happy if he gets the highest honour of the country," Kapil said.
Kapil, though, said his views would be the same even if Tendulkar had not achieved the feat of scoring the first ODI double hundred.
"Even if Sachin would have got a duck in this innings, I would still say that he deserves the honour. No decision should be taken on the basis of a performance in one match, but I am keeping in mind his overall contribution," he said.
Another former captain and former selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar echoed the same sentiment.
"If any player deserves the Bharat Ratna, it must be Tendulkar. He must get the award," he said.
Wadekar also hoped that Tendulkar would continue to play even after the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"Sachin has proved with his fielding how fit still he is. I think, he can play for at least two more years after the World Cup next year."
Wadekar, who has also worked with Tendulkar as coach of the national team, supported the view of former England captain Nasser Hussain that Tendulkar was better than even Don Bradman, the iconic Australian batsman.
"I don't think any batsman can be better than Tendulkar, not even Bradman. Sachin has succeeded in all three forms of cricket -- Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20s," Wadekar said.
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