Sachin Tendulkar, rated as the greatest batsman by legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne in his list of top 50 cricketers, has duly returned the compliment by describing the Australian as ‘as good a bowler as I have faced.’

While Warne’s rankings were being debated for the lowly rating of former Australia captain Steve Waugh and the absence of Australians in the top three, Tendulkar said he would always treasure this.

“That’s special. That’s very special. I will absolutely treasure this,” Tendulkar told The Times newspaper after reading Warne’s list. “I’ve been around for 18 years and Shane has played against me all that time. It feels wonderful when someone of his stature appreciates your performances,” he said.

Tendulkar said Warne was always a challenge to play, even when he was not taking wickets. “Every time I played against Shane, he was always extremely challenging. He was as good a bowler as I faced. But his greatness was that, even when he was not taking wickets, he was still coming at you all the time.”