This will be first World Cup after 1987 without Tendulkar playing in it and it will take time to get used to his absence, writes G Krishnan
After 1987, for the first time will a cricket World Cup be played without Sachin Tendulkar playing in it. It was those days when the tournament was played in whites. In fact, it was a little over 27 years ago that cricket World Cup was last played in whites with Allan Border's Australia lifting the title for the first of their unprecedented four crowns.
Tendulkar, however, figured in that edition held in India-Pakistan as a 13-year-old in the role of a ball boy at the Wankhede Stadium. Inspired to take up the sport by none other than Kapil Dev and his team of all-rounders when they lifted the World Cup in England in 1983, a 10-year-old Tendulkar then set his goals on replicating that feat. The image of Kapil Dev lifting the Prudential World Cup at the Lord's balcony will stay in the minds of many Indian cricket lovers. And inspired, it did, for then future generation of cricketers, one of them being Tendulkar.
Four years later, Tendulkar, having by then created loud noises in Mumbai maidan cricket to be noticed by all concerned, became part of the 1987 World Cup as one of the volunteers to retrieve the ball from the Wankhede boundary line, not to forget the moment when he was taken by Sunil Gavaskar to the Indian dressing room.
About his first involvement in the quadrennial event, Tendulkar recently wrote in ICC website thus: "My first 'live' piece of World Cup action was during the 1987 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup, which was co-hosted by India and Pakistan. I was fortunate to be among the volunteers to be picked as a ball boy for the matches played in Mumbai. As I stood there watching the Indian greats on the field, I kept telling myself that I need to be a part of the action in the middle."
Not only did he become a part of the action in the middle but also went on to make the World Cup his very own. He owns one record too many as he went on realise his dream of being part of the World Cup winning Indian squad. Tendulkar and Pakistan great Javed Miandad (1975-1996) are the only two cricketers to be part of six World Cup editions.
Tendulkar has scored the most runs in World Cup history, 2,278 runs, 535 more than second-placed Ricky Ponting. This record of Tendulkar will stand the test of time as it is impossible for Sri Lankans Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – the two current batsmen with most World Cup runs, to score 1,287 and 1,303 runs, respectively, in a single World Cup to draw level with the Indian maestro.
Besides, Tendulkar has the most centuries (6) and most fifties (15 not including the hundreds) while also scoring the most runs in a single World Cup on two occasions – 523 in 1996 and 673 in 2003.
Tendulkar, with 45 matches, is only second behind Australia's Ricky Ponting (46) for the most World Cup matches.
Across six editions, Tendulkar has played some of the most memorable scores that perch atop the World Cup statistics. Tendulkar has been part of the Indian teams that have a 100% success rate against Pakistan in World Cups, playing lead roles in almost every one of them. Right from his unbeaten 54 in 1992 against Imran Khan's Pakistan in Sydney and his lone wicket, that of Aamir Sohail to a set trap, having the dangerous opener caught by Krishnamachari Srikkanth in front of the wicket to decimating Shoaib Akhtar in Centurion, 2003 and culminating in that match-winning 85 in Mohali 2011 that took India to within a win of climbing the pinnacle, the 41-year-old has been through it all.
In fact, when India open their title defence in Adelaide on February 15 against Pakistan, it will be the first World Cup match between the two nations without Tendulkar.
He has also played with the greats of the previous generation – Ian Botham, Imran Khan to those who were not born when he was a ball boy in the 1987 World Cup.
From a middle-order batsman in his first World Cup to opening the innings in his sixth and last, Tendulkar has only met the lofty standards he had set for himself.
In his 19-year World Cup career, Tendulkar has undergone a wide range of emotions – from joy to sorrow, from personal tragedy to ecstasy, from a mere participant to a World Cup winner.
When he returns to the country of his first World Cup as ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Ambassador, his enthusiasm next month will be the same as that of a player. Just that he won't be padding up for Dhoni. Instead, he will enhance the profile of the tournament while also quietly rooting for India to retain the Cup.
Tendulkar recently said: "After playing in the last six editions, the upcoming World Cup will be a different experience as I will follow it from the sidelines. It could probably be comparable to the ICC Cricket World Cup 1987 where I was a ball boy, enthusiastically cheering every ball."
While it will take some time to come to terms that the 11th World Cup will be without Tendulkar the player, Dhoni and Co. have, in their recent times, have shown that they have the ammunition to do it this time again.
But, World Cup without Tendulkar will not be the same.
Sachin and World Cup
2,278: Most runs in World Cup
6: Most centuries
21: 50-plus scores including centuries, the most by any batsman
2: No. of World Cups he has emerged the highest scorer – 523 in 1996 and 673 in 2003
45: second most World Cup appearances, one being Ricky Ponting's 46
6: No. of World Cup tournaments, jointly with Javed Miandad (1975-1996)
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