England surprised pick Bopara idolises Tendulkar

London, Feb 15 (UNI) Indian origin England world cup member Ravi Bopara is upbeat at the prospect of playing against his idol, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, in the World Cup in the West Indies next month.

All-rounder Bopara, who was the surprised pick at the expense of CB Series star performer Mal Loye in the 15-member England squad, has been following Tendulkar's exploits from a young age and bowling against the Indian batting mainstay would be a dream come true for him.

''He (Tendulkar) has been my idol since I was able to pick up a bat. I've got well over a dozen videos and have watched them over and over. He has so much balance and his timing is out of this world,'' Bopara told Daily Telegraph.

''One of my greatest ambitions is to step out on the same pitch as him as an England player,'' the 21-year-old Essex player, who made his debut against Australia in the CB Series this month, said.

Newham-born Bopara attended Brampton Manor School in East Ham and started playing league cricket at the age of 13 and made Championship debut for Essex against Northamptonshire as a 17-year-old.

He is a product of Capital Kids, the organisation that promotes sport in London's inner-city schools but it was Graham Sandy at the Frenford club near Ilford, who played a major part in his early development.

''He was like a second father to me as well as someone who taught me a lot how to play the game,'' Bopara said of Sandy.

Meanwhile, former England skipper Graham Gooch has praised the ECB on Bopara's inclusion in the squad.

''I think it's a great inclusion. Ravi is a player who can fulfil a number of roles.

''He can bat up the order and bowl. I think you've got to have players in your top six who can bowl,'' Gooch told BBC Essex, of the young all-rounder who bats in the middle order and bowls brisk medium pace.

Another former England captain Keith Fletcher believes the inexperienced youngster will not be overawed on the big stage of crickets showpiece event at the Caribbeans.

''He's not the type to be intimidated by anyone. He has tremendous self-belief and, equally important, a natural talent that few are blessed with,'' he said.

But, Fletcher has a word of advice for Bopara ''to get to grips with his shot selection''.

''He wants to score runs from every delivery and no one in the world can do that.

''He's now beginning to accept that and he will be a better player as a result. And I'm prepared to lay a small wager that he'll play a prominent part for England in the years ahead,'' Fletcher said.

UNI