Sachin not the best: Barry Richards

South African batting legend Barry Richards feels Sachin Tendulkar is not the best batsman in contemporary cricket and there's too much "politics in selection procedures" in India.

He also feels that important players like Javagal Srinath should be paid "handsomely" even while sitting out nursing injuries, the Khaleej Times reported on Wednesday.

Richards, who was in Dubai for a meeting of the Cricket Hall of Fame, told reporters that while Tendulkar has a terrific record at home, he still needs to prove himself on fast and bouncy tracks.

"Sachin Tendulkar is a good batsman but only at home. He has to perform more consistently on bouncy wickets in South Africa and Australia to lay claim to be the best batsman of the world along with Brian Lara," Richards said.

"In my book, Graham Pollock (left-handed) and Viv Richards (right-handed) were the best batsmen ever," he said.

Richards said there is a "lot of politics" in selection procedures in India which is responsible for the inability to produce a genuine fast bowler after Kapil Dev. He also blamed lack of serious effort and competitive wickets for the problem.

"There is a lot of politics in their (India's) selection. Talent alone is not enough. The guy is from Punjab or Mumbai or down south; all these things also count," he said.

Mail Cricket Editor