The World Cup final in Mumbai will be a terrific day, with a magnificent carnival atmosphere and two very attractive teams.

Sri Lanka have Murali, the dancing-eyed, rubber-armed magician who has taken a remarkable total of 1,334 international wickets. Murali, 38, retires from international cricket after this match - although he will play in the Indian Premier League and this summer for Gloucestershire in Twenty20 cricket.

India have Sachin, the little master whose vast aggregates of 32,785 runs and 99 centuries prompt many here to worship him as though he really is a god. Tendulkar, 37, is one century away from 100 for his country.

What former players say about Sachin.

"There will never be another Sachin Tendulkar." - Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan

When you bowl at him you are not just trying to get him out, you are trying to impress him. "I want him to walk off thinking 'that Flintoff, he's all right isn't he? I feel privileged to have played against him -Andrew Flintoff

He is 99.5% Perfect.. I'll pay to watch him play. I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level. - Viv Richards

I saw him (Sachin) playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel.- Sir Don Bradman.

"During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead." - Allan Donald

Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin. " To Sachin, the man we all want to be ".

I have seen GOD , he bats at no.4 for india in Tests. - Mathew Hayden

We did not lose to a team called india...we lost to a man called Sachin.- Mark Taylor

Sachin is a genius , i am a mere mortal! - Brain Lara

What we [zimbabwe] need is 10 tendulkars.- Paul Strang

I would go to bed having nightmares of sachin dancing down the ground and hitting me for sixes. - Shane Warne

India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing.- Sunil Gavaskar

I Was fielding in the covers Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agree with me. - Abdul Qadir

"Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time" - Wasim

"Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch.

"Sachin Tendulkar! If he isn't the best player in the world, I want to see the best player in the world". - Rev David Shepherd


About Muttiah Muralitharan

Jayawardene said: "Everyone can see what Murali has achieved on the field. But I would like to admire the person off the field.

"When I joined the team, he was the first one who took me out for a meal. I didn't know him at all but he was so friendly.

"He has always done that. He is the first to take out a new player for a meal and a chat. That's Murali for you.

"And the annoying part is that he is probably the friendliest guy with opponents, too. Ask the English boys, the Indian boys, he will be the first to have a chat with them."

No matter which team wins the World Cup 2011 in Mumbai on Saturday, let's salute these 2 cricketing legends of our time.

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