If I didn't believe, I'd have stayed home, says Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar is not afraid facing up to the World Cup expectations of millions of his compatriots.

If he was, he would have stayed at home in India.

The game's most successful one-day batsman heads into his last World Cup full of confidence and refusing to believe that his country's 24-year wait for a second world title hangs heavy around his neck.

"It's not just me, but the entire nation which dreams about this," said the 33-year-old. "It's extremely important. We have tried our best in the past and we will continue to do that. If there has been no success in the past, it doesn't mean that we will never achieve it. "If we lose hope, then we may as well be back in India. But we have hope and we have pride."

Tendulkar, the highest run maker in the history of one-dayers with 14,783 runs to his name in a 381-match career, missed India's last tour of the Caribbean but believes that he can have a good tournament as his country seek to win a second World Cup to add to their 1983 title.

"I am looking forward to having a good World Cup. I am hoping that both my batting and bowling will come good," he said.

"I am not under any pressure at this time I feel quite confident and I am ready to go." Four years ago, in South Africa, Tendulkar played his role in getting India to the final with 673 runs before Australia turned up the heat to cruise to a second successive title.

India coach Greg Chappell says his team has a good a chance of emerging victorious as any of the leading contenders by the end of the seven-week tournament.

But they won't let the pressure get to them.

"We are one of a number of teams who have a good chance of doing well," said the Australian.

"We are quietly confident that we have the make-up to do well in the tournament and that's the important thing."

Skipper Rahul Dravid, buoyed by seeing his team beat Sri Lanka in a recent home series, believes India have one of the best-balanced sides at the tournament.

"We have a pretty good team and we are very confident," said Dravid. "I know that all the other teams will be aiming to play their best cricket but we are very confident that this is going to be a very good tournament for us."

India play two warm-up matches here against the Netherlands and West Indies on March 6 and 9 respectively before heading to Trinidad for their first round schedule where they face Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda.

AFP