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Kapil speaks from the heart, as usual

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM OCT. 14. It was a motley crowd with a liberal sprinkling of teenagers. And the autograph seekers formed a perpetual ring around him. The ardent followers of the game — young and old — felt free to get their doubts cleared. And the smile stuck to his thick lips despite a bout of heavy jostling and mobbing.

The celebrity was none other than former Indian captain, Kapil Dev, who spent a day to attend a private function here on Monday. Those who brought him were good enough to organise a brief tete-a-tete with the icon of Indian cricket for the media and the game's lovers.

A wide-range of crucial issues — from captaincy to the Indian pace attack — that have been haunting Indian cricket were discussed in a no-holds barred session that lasted nearly 45 minutes.

"Will 1983 come back?" The answer was an emphatic "No. 1983 will not come back. Will it?" The small audience erupted into laughter. But Kapil clinched the issue, saying "better than 1983 will soon come." Think positively, he followed with a chuckle.

Kapil said a crop of promising youngsters was showing ominous signs. He suggested to the BCCI to come up with result-oriented wickets, whether they "suit spin or pace." "Playing for five days and ending up with a dreary draw will make you sick definitely. The pitches in Australia and England produce results."

The Indian domestic scene should be given a fillip, as it would give a platform to identify potential talents. "Australia pays a lot more attention to its domestic schedule," Kapil said. The Ranji, Deodhar and Irani matches should be given their due. "That will usher in positive changes in Indian cricket itself," he added.

Can you assess Ganguly's performance as a captain? "Well. It's OK. He has to win more matches. That is all."

The face of cricket has changed with too much pressure on the players these days. "Scoring 350 runs in 90 overs is not that easy," Kapil said. "But now one can take cricket as a career. You can take a chance," he said and added that the players were also more professional, well focussed and determined.

He felt more cricket was being played in Tamil Nadu compared to North India, but wondered why many could not make it to the top. "Talent should be properly channelised," said Kapil.

As a parting shot, Kapil said he loved South India and wished to be born here during his next birth.

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