West Indies captain Brian Lara said Sachin Tendulkar's absence would deprive the younger players in his team a chance to learn from the Indian batting genius.

The 37-year-old Lara said presence of a player of Tendulkar's class would have helped in the development of young West Indies players.

"As team members, we can only learn from a player like that," Lara said on Friday after nets at Port of Spain ahead of the final two one-dayers against Zimbabwe.

Lara, at the helm of the beleaguered team for the third time, said Tendulkar would also be missed by the cricket loving public of the Caribbean.

"I think it is unfortunate because we are all entertainers. The public would have loved to see Sachin," he was quoted as saying in the Trinidad Guardian.

"He is going to be here for the World Cup hopefully, but any opportunity to see him would have been great for the public.

The West Indies take on India in a five-match one-day series beginning in Jamaica on Thursday before locking horns in a four-Test series.

Tendulkar, recuperating from a shoulder surgery and ruled out of the one-dayers, is hoping to be fit in time for the Tests.