'I played cricket & live life on front-foot'

Anuradha SenGupta: All the cricketers that are in the reckoning today for the national team that are from small towns who come from small towns like Piyush Chawla and Praveen kumar. Would you agree if I say you were the prototype for this mould of cricketers, somebody who from the grass root level can make it to the world stage

Kapil Dev: If you say that then I feel very proud and happy about it. But in time I can predict that more cricketers will come from the smaller cities. Small city people are very hard working, they want to prove to the world. That’s where you are ready to fight against all odds. In the last 15 years we have had cricketers from unknown places like Raipur and Aurungabad. Like I was the first one to play from Chandigarh but after me at least 10 people played in no time. You believe that if one boy can play from that town then many more can.

Bombay was a pioneer in that. There have been 3-4 cricketers from Shivaji Park alone. If one is playing, another who used to play with him also gets that confidence. Now with time to come smaller cities will produce more hard and ruthless cricketers.

Anuradha SenGupta: And more successful?

Kapil Dev: Definitely when you have the team that is more aggressive because sports does require more aggression and I think that cricket was not what it was 40 years ago – a gentleman’s game. Today you are playing to win and that’s it.

Anuradha SenGupta: That was pretty much your style as a cricketer. You play on the front-foot as they say in cricket?

Kapil Dev: I think I’m more passionate about whatever I do. I just want to give more than 100 per cent, I don’t know about front-foot and back-foot. Like if I’m giving you an interview, my mind should be here completely. I’m not planning what answer I have to give.

Anuradha SenGupta: Why is that?

Kapil Dev: People in our country, I think, should be more forthright. So many starts I have seen who want to hide themselves and project something, which they are not. I think you should be always who you are.

Anuradha SenGupta: You have seen things from the top where people have loved and from the bottom when you have fallen because people have questioned your integrity?

Kapil Dev: I will always say that if you know who you are then the dip and the high will not bother you so much. And people will want to throw you down because there are all kinds of people in this world but are you honest to yourself that is the question.

Single Page view

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 next »

More Headlines from Interviews

• India began Australia's downfall: Zaheer

• Race for top spot is neck and neck: Yuvraj

• India will be No. 1 by next year: Srikkanth

• Determined Rohit eyeing Test spot

• 'SL won't tour Pak without govt approval'