Tendulkar has all the records, but Lara is better: Swann

London: England off-spinner Graeme Swann says that West Indies legend Brian Lara is the finest batsman he has ever bowled at, better than Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

“If Bradman played today he’d be the best in the world. If Brian Lara had played 100 years ago, he would have been the best,” a leading daily quoted Swann, as saying. He also thinks that former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne is not only the greatest spin bowler who ever lived, but the greatest bowler. “Leg-spin is the hardest possible thing to master, but he never got the yips, he never went through a period of double bouncers or beamers,” Swann said. “I try to talk to him as often as I can when he’s here during the English summer, obviously not about the intricacies of off-spin, but about field placings, pace, deteriorating pitches. Because if I can pick his brain, why wouldn’t I?” he added. ANI