Tendulkar to get Order of Australia

New Delhi: An Order of Australia, an award given to an individual for his achievement or merit in service to Australia or humanity in general, will be conferred on Sachin Tendulkar for his contribution to the sport, the country's Prime Minister Julia Gillard said here on Tuesday.

Making the announcement during her visit to a cricket clinic organised by an NGO, Magic Bus, Gillard said she believed this was the first time a foreign cricketer had been awarded such an honour. The honour will be conferred on Tendulkar by Australian cabinet minister Simon Crean when he visits India some time soon.

Tendulkar has been associated with cricket like no other player in past or present, representing India at the highest for the last 23 years, playing 190 Tests, 463 ODIs – the most by any cricketer so far - and one Twenty20 international. He is also the only cricketer to have scored a hundred international centuries, and has made almost 35,000 runs in all formats of the game.

The honour will be conferred on Sachin by Australian cabinet minister Simon Crean when he visits India some time soon.

Since making his international debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar has played 35 Tests and 71 ODIs against Australia, making over 6500 runs with 20 centuries.

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