Sachin No. 11 in ICC Test rankings, Lillee says Tendulkar the best ever to have graced the game

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar gained a spot to be at number 11 in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen released on Tuesday. Tendulkar, with 749 points to his credit, is the lone Indian batsman in the top 20 list, which is headed by West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul, says media reports.

“Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara's match-winning unbeaten knock of 199 against Pakistan in the first Test in Galle has helped him vault three places to second in the table. In the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, India's Zaheer Khan climbed a position to be at 11th spot, while Pragyan Ojha remained static at number 20,” says a TOI report, adding that the bowlers' table continued to be headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn with Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan and England's James Anderson in second and third positions, respectively.

Meanwhile Australian fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has described Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest batsman to have ever played cricket while admiring the iconic Indian's hunger for the game despite achieving unparalleled success, says a report in The Times Of India.

"Sachin is a very humble man. He is the greatest player and batsman to have ever played. He just amazes me on many counts, his eye for the game, hunger for the game and continued success," said the 62-year-old Lillee, who bids adieu to the MRF Pace Foundation after 25 years of service.

Lillee felt a bit embarrassed now in the thought that he had rejected Tendukar's ambition to become a fast bowler in the late 1980s but said he did the game of cricket a "big favour" by doing so.

"I actually feel very embarrassed because I rejected him as a fast bowler," Lillee said recalling his first meeting with Tendulkar when the batsman came to the MRF Pace Foundation with an ambition to become a fast bowler.