Australians believe that Lara was better than Sachin, it's rubbish: Bacher

Former South Africa Captain. Dr Ali Bacher, in a reflective conversation, passionately reminisced about the cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, noting the exceptional human qualities that transcended Tendulkar's on-field greatness. He marvelled at Tendulkar's persona, describing him as a being from another world, attributing not just his sporting prowess but also his demeanour.

Bacher also highlighted Tendulkar's exceptional character and emphasized his seemingly conflict-free nature and his embodiment of greatness and joy. Dismissing Australians' comparing Sachin to Brian Lara, Bacher underscored the unparalleled pressure Tendulkar faced, representing a nation of 1.4 billion people—an aspect he deemed as unparalleled in the realm of cricket even by Lara.

“Actually, there are two. One is Sachin, we still communicate. I mean, he is a freak, he’s from a different planet. I've seen so many of his great innings but for me, it's all about how he is as a person. Jeez, has he ever had an argument? I don’t think so. He's just this greatness, this happiness, personified,” Bacher was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“You know, the Australians believe Brian Lara was better than him, I say rubbish. I say Brian Lara played before four million people. Man, this bloke had 1.4 billion people. Can you imagine the pressure of this bloke? Don't tell me that,” he further added. 

Brian Lara’s first impression of the ‘Master Blaster’

In an encounter laden with promise, cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara first crossed paths during a 1990 exhibition match in Toronto, Canada. Despite Sachin's international debut predating Lara's by a year, it was this fleeting meeting that marked their initial interaction. Both youthful and brimming with potential, these explosive batters would later ascend to the zenith of cricketing glory. Lara, reminiscing on this encounter last year, shed light on his first impressions of the iconic Sachin, igniting nostalgia among cricket enthusiasts.

"When I met Sachin, he was already an established teenager. I was playing a lot of ODIs by then. Sachin said I was very small, fragile. I had the opportunity to hone my skills in one-dayers. My first impression of Sachin was that I had never seen an Indian batsman so accomplished against extreme fast bowling. 

Indian bowlers were good against spin but here was a teenager who scored runs against the best teams, bowling attacks in the world. From that day, I measured myself against Sachin. He was a few miles ahead of me at that time, I really wanted to be on part with him," Lara had said.