Ex-Namibia Star, Now A Pilot, Recalls Story Behind Sachin Tendulkar's 'Special' Wicket
A man of many talents, former Namibia cricketer Rudie Van Vuuren has the flexibility of representing his country at three World Cups, across two different sports.
A man of many talents, former Namibia cricketer Rudie Van Vuuren has the flexibility of representing his country at three World Cups, across two different sports. He was in Namibia's squads for the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups and opened the bowling in all five matches at the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Currently serving as the president of Cricket Namibia, the 53-year-old went down memory lane, recalling his famous dismissal of India batting great Sachin Tendulkar during the World Cup 21 years ago.
"In the Cricket World Cup 2003, I took the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. I'm a conservationist. I'm also a medical doctor. I'm also the Cricket Namibia president. I used to play rugby and cricket for Namibia. I'm a pilot. I'm a father as well," Van Vuuren said in a video shared by the ICC.
"I remember what happened. I think Sachin was batting on 140-odd. He was tired, and I was tired. The ball was so slow that it almost didn't hit the bails off the stumps, but yeah, that's the prized wicket in world cricket, of course. If you can get the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, that's great," he recalled.
However, Sachin's gesture after the match holds a special place in Van Vuuren's heart, something which he described as an 'amazing' experience.
"Francois Erasmus, our team manager, I asked Sachin if he would take a photo with me and he agreed. It was amazing to share. We sat there and talked for a long time. And the thing that impressed me the most about him was just his humbleness. What a humble man. What an ultimate athlete. He talked, was interested in rugby and what we do. It was a great experience talking to him," added Van Vuuren.
India and Namibia will lock horns in the T20 World Cup on Thursday, which will only be the third meeting between the two sides in international cricket.
In 2003, India won by 181 runs, courtesy of centuries from Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. The two sides also met during the 2021 T20 World Cup, with India registering a nine-wicket win.
Namibia
India Cricket Team
Sachin Tendulkar