The Unseen Hero

Twelfth man Sunil Valson did not play a single game at the 1983 Cricket World Cup but his contribution to India's greatest sporting success was pivotal.

- VIJAY LOKAPALLY

LEFT-ARM BOWLER Sunil Valson could have easily played in the second World Cup group match against the West Indies in June 1983. Skipper Kapil Dev had sounded him off. Roger Binny was still recovering from a niggle, and Valson was almost certain about finally making it to India's playing 11. "Be ready," Dev had alerted Valson, the night before the game.

On the morning of the match, Valson, in anticipation of playing, went through his warm-up drills with an extra spring in his step-only to be told at the end of the session that Binny had declared himself fit.

"Hard luck," Dev said to Valson. So did Binny.

Every four years, as the 50-over Cricket World Cup tournament slips into the public consciousness, Valson is reminded of the fact that although he was a member of the Indian team, he did not play a single game in the 1983 triumph. The pain he feels is sharp-but time has helped him deal with the disappointment.

Valson holds no grudges against his captain or team-mates. "I have no complaints. I have the highest regards for Roger. He was better qualified than me," says Valson, remembering that difficult day 40 years ago. It was the closest he came to playing for India.

Binny was empathetic too. "I was disappointed that Valson didn't get a game, but our playing 11 were selected match to match. There was no certainty about a place. What went against Valson was that he couldn't bat, and what we needed were all-rounders," says Binny, who was the highest wicket taker of the 1983 World Cup, with 18 victims. Binny was also a renowned striker of the ball.

Even though Valson was vying for Binny's spot, the two bonded through that tournament. "Valson was as important a member as any, and I've never heard him grumble about the fact that he didn't get a game," Binny recalls. In fact, regard for Valson ran through the entire team, whose epic triumph changed the face of Indian cricket.