Sachin Tendulkar helps Indian cricket fan achieve mission impossible

Sydney: Sachin Tendulkar and Andrew Symonds have come together to help a cricket fan achieve mission impossible of collecting the signatures of 40 players from Australia’s successful World Cup winning teams of 1987, 2003 and 2007.

Indians are renowned for their love of cricket but few fans are as dedicated Rohan Pate, 23, who has spent the past fortnight, flying around Australia in his quest to chase the autograph of every World Cup-winning player. Pate’s relationship with Tendulkar, an ambassador for his property developing company, has proved pivotal in collecting the signatures of 40 players from Australia’s World Cup winning teams. Tendulkar introduced him to Mumbai Indians teammate Symonds, whom Pate met in India while the all-rounder was filming a reality TV show, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Symonds then helped Pate, who is from Pune, get in touch with many of his teammates from the 2003 and 2007 campaigns. Beginning at 5am each morning, and finishing at 11pm, Pate’s 20,000 dollars pilgrimage has taken him to every mainland capital as far inland as Moree to meet Peter Taylor - seen him board some 20 flights. Pate was due to fly out last week but delayed his return to India in order to find Steve Waugh, who signed his bat at a breakfast before the start of the Test. To complete the whole set, Pate requires only the signatures of 2003 pair Ian Harvey and Jason Gillespie, who live in Britain, Tim May in the US and about half of Pakistan``s 1992 squad, the Herald reports. Bureau Report