India, May 27 -- Imagine Sachin Tendulkar playing for an Australian team. Weird, right? Honestly, it feels unacceptable. Australia was the one team Sachin loved batting against, the opponents against whom he produced those unforgettable Sharjah innings, and the side against whom he registered his second-highest Test score. The mere idea of Tendulkar playing for any team other than India, let alone an Australian side, feels difficult to process.

Yet, some influential figures in Australia genuinely tried to make it happen.

After Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013, Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Stars attempted to lure the Master Blaster out of retirement for a one-evening exclusive deal that would have seen...