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Tendulkar and Warne toast Bradman

Cricket stars Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne today paid a visit to the home of the world's best known player, but Sir Donald Bradman felt the hype surrounding his 90th birthday, which fell on Thursday, was "a bit too much.''

The reclusive Bradman played 52 Tests and finished with a peerless average of 99.94, almost 40 runs better than the next highest on the all-time list, South African Graeme Pollock. Tendulkar, whom Bradman described as reminding him of himself as a player, is considered one of the world's best batsmen and has an average in the 50s.

He and Warne were welcomed to Bradman's Adelaide home ahead of a dinner in his honour which 1,300 people attended. The Don stayed home.

After stepping out of cricket as a player, selector and administrator, Bradman stepped straight out of public life.

Tendulkar and Warne's was a rare visit into Bradman's sanctuary and they stayed about an hour before the man described as the greatest living Australian by Prime Minister John Howard walked them to the door.

Asked by a reporter if he was enjoying the occasion, Bradman's reply summed up his attitude to public scrutiny. "How do I feel? It would be a lot better without all the cameras around,'' the greatest cricketer of all time said. "It is all a bit too much.''

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell, now the South Australian cricket manager, filled in for Bradman to cut a birthday cake at a lunchtime celebration in Adelaide.

"I think he has earned the right at 90 to have a quiet celebration with his family and just sit back and relax and enjoy it,'' Chappell said.

The Australian devoted a four-page tribute to Bradman, who was never dismissed in the nineties during his career.

The tribute matched another four-page effort earlier in the week by the Sydney Morning Herald as Australia paid tribute to the man known as 'The little bloke,' who has endured, rather than enjoyed, fame for the last 70 years.

UNI