Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar made his official international cricket debut in 1989 against Pakistan. However, as per Sachin’s autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’, that wasn’t the first time the young prodigy had a taste of playing with aclaimed international cricketers.
Just two years earlier, in 1987, a 14-year-old Sachin had come on to field for a Pakistan team that was playing a festival match against India in Mumbai. The Master Blaster wonders in his book if the then Pakistan captain Imran Khan remembers employing him in the field or not.
When Pakistan cricketers Javed Miandad and Abdul Qadir left the field during the lunch break, Sachin was one of two local lads asked to field for the visiting team.
In that match, Sachin nearly caught star all-rounder Kapil Dev out in the match. However, he couldn’t get to the ball despite running a long way. He notes that if he had been placed at mid-on rather than long-on, he could have taken part in a dismissal for Pakistan.
“I don’t know whether Imran Khan remembers this or has any idea that I once fielded for his Pakistan team,” Sachin wrote on his autobiography.