Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses, anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient in each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

Though he has adopted a noticeably conservative approach in the last quarter of his career, there are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year old on a lightning fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman when Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. This was after he was turned away from a fast-bowling camp in Chennai by Dennis Lillee.

Tendulkar's greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, and in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer and the first to 12,000 runs. He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.

Sir Donald Bradman - The Don

Sir Donald Bradman has been touted the greatest batsman in the history of cricket. He retired from the game in 1948 with many of his records and standards not being equalled yet.

Born in Cootamundra (NSW), he spent his childhood in Bowral (NSW). At 12 years of age he was already scoring centuries for his local cricket team giving him the title of Child Cricket Prodigy.

In 1926-27 he was playing for St George district club in Sydney, then made the NSW First Team in 1927-28.

He ended his first season with a total of 416 runs with 10 innings then went on to score more than 1000 runs in each of the next nine Australian seasons.

Sir Bradman faced the English for the first time in 1928-29 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He scored well enough to make the first Test, but the NSW team was thrashed by England. It has been said that Sir Bradman didn't play at his best during that test - but I believe it takes a whole team to win or lose a match.

He was recalled for the Third Test in which he scored 112 runs becoming the youngest player to score a century in the Test match.

When England bought the "bodyline attack" to Australia, Sir Bradman did not play in the First Test due to ill health. In the second Test he was out for a duck in the first innings, but redeemed himself in the second with 103 not out.

Sir Bradmans career ended in 1948 while captaining the Australian Tour of England. The Australians were undefeated during this tour.

During his Cricket career he scored 117 centuries in first class cricket and played in 52 Test matches - 24 of which were as Captain.

In 1949 Sir Bradman was the first Australian knighted for cricket and spent many years after involved in the sport. He was a member of the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket in 1960-63, then its Chairman in 1969-72.

He was also a fully qualified Cricket umpire. During his retirement from the game he wrote 4 books about cricket - The Art of Cricket, My Life Story, How to Play Cricket and Farewell to Cricket.

There is a Museum of Bradman Memorabilia in Bowral NSW.