MUMBAI, MARCH 17: Tears streamed down Vinod Kambli's visage as he returned to the pavilion, overwhelmed by India's `sudden-death' in the 1996 World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka. The end was unexpected and unprecedented. A technical knockout delivered by match referee Clive Lloyd after the Calcuttans failed to end their violent ways.``I cried for the country,'' Kambli said recalling the incident. ``The last time we (India) were almost there. But if I make it into the team this time, I will ensure that I return home laughing,'' Kambli added while releasing a song on buddy Sachin Tendulkar from the cricket album Pitch Fever here this evening.A music addict like Tendulkar, Kambli explained the importance of music to a cricketer. ``Music gives relief to a player from pressures and tensions that he is subjected to. That's the reason why you find most cricketers glued to their walkmans when not in the middle.''Present on the occasion and lending support to Indian campaign in the forthcoming WorldCup were some key members of the 1983 side which won the Prudential Cup, skipper Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Sandeep Patil besides the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Raj Singh Dungarpur.``If the team plays to the best of its ability, we are bound to come out with flying colours. I hope and pray that we win the World Cup,'' said Kapil Dev.When emcee Harsha Bhogle pointed out to Kapil that Tendulkar was one of the `ball boys' along the boundary line during the 1987 World Cup semi-final held at Mumbai, the former Indian skipper replied: ``If we had Sachin in our team in 1987, we would have won the World Cup.''However, Kapil advised it was not proper to term Tendulkar as `The important player of the team.' ``Undoubtedly, Sachin is the most talented cricketer I have come across in my life. But in a team if he is important so are the other members.''For one, whose leadership qualities went a long way in fetching India the World Cup in 1983, Kapil's words justified theessence of team spirit.Terming the cricket fever in India as an incurable disease, Dungarpur, who released the title song of the album, felt victory in the 1999 World Cup would ``see the country stepping into the next century as a different nation.''Keeping in with the mood of the proceedings, Sandeep Patil said: ``My role (in the '83 World Cup) was that of a joker in a game of rummy (a card game). I hope that with Vinod Kambli in the team he would do the same.''The cricket album features six songs, each of which were released by the cricketers. The album has been produced by textile giants S Kumar's and is marketed by BMG Crescendo.
