New Delhi: The selection of Kapil Dev for the prestigious Wisden Indian-Cricketer-of- the-Century award is not only a tribute for his outstanding all round abilities but also a recognition for his role in taking Indian cricket to its pinnacle in the summer of 1983.
For a die-hard cricketer who dominated the international cricket scene with his heroics for nearly two decades, Kapil's natural talent, commitment and his passion for the game propelled him to dizzying heights few have attained in Indian cricket. It was probably his phenomenal success with both the bat and the ball which helped him to pip two batting maestros - Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar - for the coveted award but few will dispute the honour bestowed on him at a time when he kept himself aloof from the cricket world. Regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of all time, Kapil Dev captured the imagination of this cricket-crazy nation with his fabulous feats and played a stellar role in many memorable Indian victories, both at home and away. Leading India to an incredible victory against the West Indies to annex the World cup on the hallowed turf of the Lord's in 1983 and surpassing Richard Hadlee's record of 431 wickets in 1994 were the highpoints of a long career which had never been interrupted by injuries - a record in itself. Dubbed the 'Hayana Hurricane', Kapil's emergence on the firmament of Indian cricket coincided with the decline of its spin attack in the early 80's. Kapil showed the world that India could indeed produce a fast bowler. Since making his debut as a strapping 19-year old in Pakistan in 1978, Kapil never looked back as he consolidated his position in the team to ultimately take up the captain's post. It was virtually baptism by fire as Kapil, who graduated to the national team at a rather young age, faced the Pakistan speedsters like Imran Khan and Sarfaraz Nawaz in his maiden series in Pakistan but a few decent scores and a four-wicket haul established him as an upcoming all-rounder. The tour of Pakistan helped him to mature fast and Kapil put up a much better display in the subsequent home series against the West Indies, amassing 379 runs. A fast learner, Kapil realised that bowling fast alone would not make him successful in international cricket and he worked on his deadly out-swingers and yorkers which fetched him most of the wickets. Kapil took 434 wickets in 131 Tests and also scored 5248 runs in his career, but his achievements were all the more creditable considering that he bowled tireless overs on the placid tracks of the sub-continent. He had the distinction of being the youngest cricketer to complete the first double against Pakistan in Kolkata in 1979-80. The second milestone of 2000 runs and 200 wickets was achieved at Port of Spain in 1982-83. But the brightest moment of his career came in the 1983 Prudential World Cup. Underdogs India pulled off one of the biggest upsets in One-day Internationals when it humbled the West Indies to lift the coveted Cup. The jubilant Kapil Dev holding aloft the World Cup along with his teammates at the Lord's balcony has now become an immortal picture in Indian cricket focklore. Kapil himself played a key role in the World Cup campaign and his unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe, which pulled India out of a precarious 17 for five, is rated as one of the best One-day knocks ever. The Indian victory at the Lord's exposed the myth of the Windies invincibility. Despite leading India to the World Cup triumph, Kapil Dev did not have a particularly happy time as a captain in the subsequent series and he was removed one year later with the selectors reinstating Sunil Gavaskar. But the quintessential sportsman that he is, Kapil concentrated on his game and displayed the same commitment and passion as he went about playing one match after another. Known to be one of the fittest players in the team, Kapil's date with destiny came in February in 1994 when he broke Richard Hardlee's record of 431 wickets - becoming the highest wicket taker in World cricket before Courtney Walsh and Shane Warne overtook him. Kapil's decision to hang up his boots in November, 1994, brought an end to an illustrious career which saw him toil hard to pull Indian cricket out of the depths of mediocrity. Kapil Dev was appointed coach of the Indian team in 1999 but with little success as the team suffered a number of defeats in his tenure at a time when the match-fixing controversy rocked international cricket. He was sacked as the coach, rather unceremoniously, within one and half years leaving him a deeply hurt man. Attempts to drag his name in the match-fixing controversy by a former team ate prompted him to distance himself from the game which gave him everything in life. But, that's all past now.
Extras:
It's poetic justice in the end for Kapil: BCCI chief
Former players shower praise on Indian 'icon' Kapil
Tags: cricket, new delhi, kapil dev, wisden indian-cricketer-of-the-century, indian cricket, sunil gavaskar, sachin tendulkar, west indies, world cup, richard hadlee, hayana hurricane, pakistan, imran khan, sarfaraz nawaz, 1983 prudential world cup, lord's, lords, zimbabwe, sunil gavaskar, courtney walsh, shane warne.
|
Other sections
|
|
|
E-mail
To the Editor
Print
Be the first to comment this article.