Karnataka - Bangalore

He has great faith in Indian cricket

New ball game: Former cricketer Kapil Dev at the inauguration of a golf concepts store in Bangalore.

Bangalore: Dressed crisply in TaylorMade-Adidas golf attire, with his signature silver earring and a fine black cap, the Haryana Hurricane-turned-golf enthusiast Kapil Dev told The Hindu that he was proud of Team India’s recent achievements.

Evidently excited about its emphatic wins against England, after a series win against Australia, the man who led India to its sole World Cup victory said: “Until now, India’s game has been absolutely fantastic, and I will comment on the performance only after the series is over. However, at the moment, India is the best team on the field.”

Commenting on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, Mr. Kapil Dev said, “He (Dhoni) cannot seem to do anything wrong. Everything he touches is turning into gold.”

“Just as the critics open their mouth to point out the risks of going against the textbooks, he silences them with a win,” the veteran remarked. “The Indian team is a perfect example of young talent donning the shoes of veterans. As long as good cricket is being played, everyone ought to be happy,” he added.

In the context of the changing order of the cricket team, Mr. Kapil Dev said the keyword was ‘change.’ “And if this involves young players with an aggressive winning formula, there is nothing wrong with that,” he asserted.

Asked about the success and failures of the recently held Indian Cricket League (ICL) series, Mr. Kapil Dev, who is also chairman of its executive board, said: “Spectators and the people have helped make the difference. Cricketers from remote areas have been given a chance to become superstars. Why should we have only a couple of stars in our country, when it has the potential of a hundred?” he asked.

And does the fact that the league is not recognised by the BCCI not affect the players’ careers? “I think talent will always be spotted. If you are picking the best player in the country to play in the cricket World Cup, it does not matter which league you belong to,” he says.

“If I may dare ask,” Mr. Dev retorted, “If Dhoni and Tendulkar were ICL players, would they not be allowed to represent the nation?” Saying that only one league should exist in a country is as good as saying that there should be only one newspaper in the market, he added.

Mr. Kapil Dev was in Bangalore to inaugurate “Golf Concepts”, the first exclusive TaylorMade-Adidas golf store run by SPT Sports Management Pvt. Ltd.

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