Sachin Tendulkar after reaching the 10000-run mark at the Eden on Wednesday. Pictures by Amit Datta

Calcutta: Rameez Raja and Aamer Sohail, both former Pakistan captains, welcomed the new entrant to the 10,000-run club with open-handed panegyric, agreeing to the fact that there?s more to come from him.

Both have seen ? on and off the field ? the growth of one Mr Sachin Tendulkar as the domineering figure in cricketing world and they still love to brood over a series of adjectives in describing the Indian phenomenon.

On Wednesday at the Eden, when Sachin flicked one off the bowling of Abdul Razzaq, Rameez and Aamer were eyewitness to the Master Blaster?s run towards the milestone. They believe that run will continue till further hurdles fall at his feet.

Rameez, incidentally, was also there to see Sachin?s first run as well, when he played as Pakistan?s opener in the Indian?s debut Test in 1989.

While Rameez wants to give more credit to Sunil Gavaskar, the first man to reach that summit, than Sachin, Aamer refuses to look into any comparison among five 10000 club members (Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Brian Lara being the other three).

Rameez Raja: You need to have not only talent but a great degree of dedication to reach such a pinnacle. There are few role models like Sachin in the game and his new achievement will definitely help Indian cricket in future.

However, I feel Sunil Gavaskar?s effort (on being a member of the 10,000-run club) is a bit more creditable compared to Sachin?s. When Sunny did it, the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and others had great bowling attacks at their disposal. Besides, Sunny will get more marks from me because he was an opener and therefore, the task of building an innings was more difficult for him.

Who?s best among the five? Well, I?ll like to pick (Brian) Lara. Because he?s elegant and almost single-handedly carrying a country?s hopes and aspirations over a significant period of time. Lara is also the fastest to reach the milestone (in 111 Tests) and that also helps my vote go in his favour.

Aamer Sohail: It (10,000-run mark) was expected of him (Sachin). The kind of talent he was born and made his entry to the game with, it had to happen one day. The first time I saw him I had got this impression that this man wasn?t there to stop at 10,000, but beyond a mark where others only dream of going to.

What I love most in Sachin?s ascendancy to becoming a great is his sense of maturity. He was very attacking during his early years, but as he moved along, he curbed those instincts to stay more focused. But the intelligent brain is still very much on his shoulders and I?m sure he?ll push the game to a new level.

It?s significant that Team India now have the likes of Virender Sehwag who loves to attack, thus giving Sachin more time and space to work on his batting. We?ll see and hear many such feats from him in future.