The Hindu : Time to show solidarity, Kapil tells cricket fans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Time to show solidarity, Kapil tells cricket fans

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE FEB. 19. The Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century, Kapil Dev, today appealed to cricket fans not to burn posters or attack the houses of cricketers to vent their anger over the dismal performance by the Indian team in the World Cup.

Mr. Kapil Dev told presspersons here that such protests would disturb the players. On the contrary, this was the time to show solidarity with the team. Replacing the national coach should not be discussed during the tournament, he said. Unnecessary hype generated about the chances of Indian team was responsible for the present situation.

Mr. Kapil Dev urged the Indian team not to feel under pressure, but to work hard and enjoy cricket. People had lost confidence and the team was feeling out of place in the World Cup. The team had played too much of cricket in the past nine months.

The overkill should be considered a learning experience.

He said: "The way the Indian team is playing, I have my own doubts about its success in the World Cup. They have lost confidence." Asked to pick his favourite team, he said any team playing well could be the eventual champion, and pointed out that Australia was playing good cricket along with New Zealand and West Indies. Indians looked lost in the match against Australia.

About the condition of domestic cricket in the country, he said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could take cricket to the grassroots if there was improvement in domestic cricket.

He said the board was rich enough to organise and improve conditions for domestic cricket and, if that happened, Indian cricket would be on a different plane.

He said: "The plight of domestic cricket can be well understood if one questions Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar on the number of international matches they played against the number of domestic cricket matches."

On having faster tracks, Mr. Kapil Dev said it was possible if the BCCI decided on it. It was up to the BCCI to decide on having such pitches.

Asked if cricket was promoted in a big way when compared with other games and sports, he said that efforts should be made to promote other sports also.

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