Mumbai: Dashing New Zealand allrounder Chris Cairns Tuesday said Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman in the world, because he had ?all the strokes in the book? and had been scoring consistently over the years.

Cairns, who retired from Test cricket in June this year, also said that in his opinion Sachin was a better batsman than Sunil Gavaskar.

?Though it is debatable, I personally think that Sachin, who has more runs than Sunny in both forms of cricket combined, has the edge as he has scored his runs at a faster clip consistently,? Cairns told reporters after conducting a cricket clinic for schoolchildren at Hindu Gymkhana here.

When pointed out that Gavaskar got his runs against some of the fearsome fast bowlers including Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Dennis Lillee, Cairns said: ?Gavaskar was very gutsy and technically correct, but Tendulkar has all the strokes in the book.

?Though I have not played against Sunny, I have seen him play against Richard Hadlee and others, while I have seen Tendulkar perform from close range and according to me Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world,? he added.