Allan Donald talks about the three best batsmen who have played against him in his cricketing career and out of them Sachin Tendulkar was selected as the best technical player he has ever met by West Indies superstar Brian Lara as an ‘absolute genius’.
“Technically, the best player I ever played against was Sachin Tendulkar. Home or away, he could adapt. When he came to South Africa, you could clearly see that he adapted his technique to bouncier wickets. And he left the ball so well. He triggered in South Africa.
Today in 1997 Captain Sachin Tendulkar 169 Vs South Africa at Capetown.
SRT came-🇮🇳33/4
SRT Out-🇮🇳359/10@Sachin_rt Smashing Donald, Pollock, McMillan & Klusener amazing Drives Pull Shots & Ended by Unbelievable Catch by ____?#INDvSApic.twitter.com/obejJO1KDh— Sachin Tendulkar Fan Club🇮🇳 (@CrickeTendulkar) January 4, 2022
In India, he didn’t because of lower bounce. And his hands took over in India because the wickets just slid on so beautifully. And not to mention the turn, but in South Africa and Australia, he triggered a little bit. He got closer to off-stump, knew where he was. He got hundreds against every country in the world and in their own conditions,” he said
The other two players Donald spoke about were West Indies great Brian Lara and former England captain Michael Atherton. Donald recalled some of the best on-field battles he has had with Lara and called him a shot-maker to boot.
“The next to me who was an absolute genius and a shot-maker to boot was Brian Lara. Hitting good balls for bour off back of a length, or that pick-up pull shot that he played. I know when they came to South Africa, Hansie Cronje said to me… whenever that guy comes to the wicket, you are on. You’ve got free liberty to just take him on.’ He got a 100 in Durban and he got a 100 at SuperSport Park. He was an absolute genius. Brian Lara for me, just… he smoked it to all parts,” Donald recalled.
But The South African great acknowledged that the best cricket he has ever played is not against Indian or West Indian players. Speaking about Atherton, Donald remembered the epic Nottingham battle where after welcoming the English batter with a barrage of bouncers, the Bloemfontein-based speedster would finally get his wicket. But Atherton was a victim of poor umpiring, and Donald was booed by the crowd as well.
“The best bit of cricket that I ever played against was Michael Atherton in Nottingham sort of in the late afternoon. I realised that maybe it’s the right time now to ask for the ball and Hansie was happy for me to come and have a crack. So the first ball I bowled over the wicket, came out sweetly, it had a nice shape on it.
The ball was fairly oldish then. I came round the wicket and the very first ball I bowled to him, he gloved it and Mark Boucher took a great catch. But then I looked at the slip cordon’s reaction and realised that it was not out. I walked back and there were boos and all sorts of things going on,” Donald further added.
Donald played his last Test against Australia in 2002 and ended his international career after the 2003 World Cup. With 330 Test wickets and 272 ODI wickets.