Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has been named the best Test player of the 21st century in an online poll conducted by the Cricket Australia website, cricket.com.au.
Tendulkar, who played 200 Test matches for India, received 23 per cent votes in the poll, followed by Kumar Sangakkara (14 per cent), Adam Gilchrist (13 per cent), Ricky Ponting (11 per cent) and Jacques Kallis (11 per cent).
More than 16,000 fans participated in the poll, after the cricket.com.au released the list of top-100 players since 2000. Tendulkar is a lone Indian in the list of top-10 players.
“After 10 days of counting down and no end of deliberations, cricket.com.au released its final countdown of the 100 best Test players since 2000 a couple of days ago.”
“Readers debated the top 10, just as you did players 11 through 100, but we also provided an opportunity for you to decide your No.1 Test player of the century,” the website stated.
“Tendulkar, the Little Master who remains an iconic figure in the sport, was a runaway winner, while batting giants Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis were separated on countback, with the Australian just edging out his Protean counterpart.”
The Poll result:
1.) Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 23%, 2. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 14%, 3. Adam Gilchrist (Aus) 13%, 4. Ricky Ponting (Aus) 11%, 5. Jacques Kallis (SA) 11%, 6. AB de Villiers (SA) 10%, 7. Shane Warne (Aus) 9%, 8. Glenn McGrath (Aus) 5%, 9. Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) 3%, 10. Dale Steyn (SA) 1%.
