Julia Gillard announced the rare Order of Australia for Sachin

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on her visit to India on 16 October 2012 announced that Sachin Tendulkar would be conferred with the membership of the Order of Australia. This is the honor that is rarely bestowed on any non-Australian. The Prime Minister, while announcing this special honour for Sachin said that he deserves the award because he was a special cricketer.

Sachin will be conferred with this award during the visit of Australian Minister Simon Crean to India. Tendulkar will be honoured with AM award, one of the six different grades of the Order of Australia honour.

Sachin is the Second Indian after Soli Sorabjee, the former Attorney General of India to be conferred with this award. Before Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara the cricketer from West Indies was conferred with this honour in the year 2009.