ID :
10938
Fri, 06/27/2008 - 14:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/10938
The shortlink copeid
1983 World Cup heroes relive historic occasion at the Lord's By H.S. Rao
London, Jun 27 (PTI) - It was a journey down the memory lane
as India's 1983 World Cup heroes relived the historic occasion
by walking down the pitch and then victorious captain Kapil
Dev opening a champagne bottle from the hallowed balcony of
the Lord's pavilion on Wednesday night, as he did exactly 25
years ago.
"It (the 1983 victory) was one of the greatest moments in
history," both Kapil and BCCI President Sharad Pawar said.
Later at a dinner hosted in honour of the 15 men who had
created history, Pawar, along with liquor baron Vijay Mallya,
presented a replica of the Prudential Cup to each one of them.
Mallya, whose UB Group sponsored the event, unveiled a
cricket bat adorned with 25-carat diamonds and a specially
designed ball, encrusted with diamonds, which would be
auctioned by Sotheby's with the proceeds to be presented to
the 15 heroes equally.
Noting that the 1983 World Cup victory had given
"self-belief" to all the Indians, Pawar told the packed
gathering that both M.S. Dhoni, captain of the victorious
World Twenty20 Cup team, and Virat Kohli, who led India to
Under-19 World Cup title in Malaysia, were inspired by
'Kapil's Devils'.
Pawar said though an Indian team first visited England in
1932, "history was created by Kapil and his teammates by
winning the World Cup in 1983".
Kapil, who has fallen out with the BCCI after joining the
'rebel' ICL, thanked Pawar for honouring the cricketers.
"We are honoured and we would like to honour you with the
same respect for looking after cricketers," he said, while
also thanking Sunil Gavaskar for conceptualising the silver
jubilee celebration of India's victory here.
Pawar, on his part, praised Kapil for leading from the
front to win the World Cup. "Kapil really changed everything,"
pointed out Pawar, who said he had watched both India's
matches against Zimbabwe and final against the West Indies.
Noting that cricket is a religion in India, Pawar said,
"Today the major news in my country is the silver Jubilee
celebration of India's World Cup victory, though there is a
political crisis in the country."
Gavaskar, who booked the venue of the celebrations at the
Lord's after learning a year back that no cricket match was
being played on June 25, was all praise for Kapil Dev's
leadership. "He showed how to play a captain's innings and
rescue the team."
As in the celebrations in India, Kapil was the star
attraction at the Lord's function also.
Asked when the team started believing that they could win
the World Cup in 1983, Kapil said, "When we beat West Indies,
the twice Champions, in Manchester in the league stage. It was
then that we started believing in ourselves."
"The credit for the victory should go to everybody
including the media," he said, adding that nobody gave India
any outside chance to win the World Cup in 1983.
Asked about the prospects of India winning the next World
Cup in 2011, the legendary all-rounder said, "Why not. Now we
start believing that we have that capacity."
"India's victory also inspired Sri Lanka and Pakistan," he
said, adding, "Today, we are much more closer to winning the
Cup again."
Gavaskar concurred with Kapil saying, "Yes, we have plenty
of options now. In 2011 India will be able to break the jinx
of host countries not lifting the trophy."
Asked what he thought when he went to bat with India five
down for 17 in their match against Zimbabwe, Kapil said, "I
went in with the thought 'let me stay here'."
"Once we started getting runs, we consolidated our
position and in the last 5-6 overs scored about 70 to 80 runs.
India won the match by 31 runs."
Kapil revealed that he was reluctant to take up the
captaincy at that time as there were other senior and worthy
players. "Besides, because of lack of proficiency in English I
was reluctant to face the media."
He said he was sorry if he had "disturbed anybody's peace
of mind" as captain of the Indian team. "I remained cricket
captain on the field. If I said anything which has disturbed
anybody's peace of mind, I am sorry."
Asked whether there was any room to end rivalry between
ICL and IPL, Kapil Dev, who is Chairman of the 'rebel' ICL
group, quipped, "Let's see. Our job is to promote the game."
Kapil regaled the audience with a series of anecdotes
about each of his teammates.
Introducing Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Kapil praised him for
knocking down the wicket of much feared Gordon Greenidge early
in the final match against the West Indies.
"Later when Malcolm Marshall bowled a bouncer at Sandhu,
the normally quiet umpire Dicky Bird shouted at Marshal 'You
can't bowl like that to a 11th batsman'," Kapil remembered.
He said Dilip Vengsarkar had scored three centuries in
his three matches at the Lord's but he was not in the final
because of an injury. "Otherwise, our score would have been
283."
"Kirti Azad and Mohinder Amarnath bowled 24 overs giving
away 53 runs. How can England win if they could not face
India's part-time bowlers," Kapil said of the heroics of Azad
and Amarnath.
"Mohinder Amarnath was truly a champion alrounder, totally
underestimated by a lot of batsmen."
Kapil described Roger Binny as a "lovable character" who
would do anything for the captain while introducing Sandeep
Patil as a great cricketer and entertainer.
The legendary all-rounder wondered how Yashpal Sharma
proved himself a strong cricketer despite being a vegetarian.
As for wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani, Kapil said, "He
(Kirmani) was always late but was never late to take catches.
He is one of the best wicketkeepers India has ever produced."
He described Madan Lal as hardest and toughest cricketer
and Krishnamachari Srikkanth a great character.
"With a little more talent, Ravi Shastri, cricketer of the
cricketers, would have been one of the best cricketers in the
world," was how Kapil described the Shastri.
But, the best accolade was reserved for Gavaskar, whom
Kapil said he was not qualified to describe.
"He played for India when there were hardly any pace
bowlers at home. But he went to the West Indies and pulverised
their pacers, scoring hundreds after hundreds without wearing
a helmet. He taught us how not to lose a match. We love and
respect each other. He is the most straightforward cricketer I
have known," Kapil said of the legendary opener.
"We may have differences of opinion. That does not mean I
don't respect him. I respect him more than anybody else."
Kapil did not forget then manager Peter Mansingh whom he
thanked for "all good and bad things" he had done and
described him as one of the finest men.
"He looked after every needs of every team member."
As for Mallya, who financed the event, Kapil said, "We
sportspersons are proud of you and what you have done to
sportsmen in the country."
At the dinner, Mallya said, "It was truly a memorable
occasion to honour 1983 World Cup heroes. The UB Group has a
long and symbiotic relations with many sports for decades and
we have had the opportunity to be part of many milestones."
"The 1983 win was a special moment for India and this is
our tribute to these cricket icons and millions of cricket
fans in India."
The business tycoon invited every cricket aficionado in
the world to participate in the auction of the rare memento
and make the silver jubilee celebrations of India's World Cup
"truly memorable".
Mehul Choksi, Chairman Gitanjali Group, co-sponsor of the
event said, "Kapil Dev and his team created history at the
Lords in 1983. It was a match on which legends are written
even today. They are the gems in the truest sense."
Referring to the recently concluded IPL, Mallya said,
"Sports is integral part of the world and we would like to
promote the spirit of the game. With that in mind I bought the
Royal Challengers and hoped we will do better. I never gave
up. But nobody compliments me for sponsoring the Rajasthan
Royal Challengers which ultimately lifted the trophy."
He said, "We are proud owners of F1 and two leading
football clubs in India including Mohun Bagan." He also
thanked the MCC for making available the spectacular venue for
the celebrations.
Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Delhi
and District Cricket Association President Arun Jaitely was
also present on the occasion.
On the High Commissioner's presence at the dinner, Ravi
Shastri said Mukherjee was the High Commissioner of India when
M.S. Dhoni-led side won the World Twenty20 Cup in South
Africa and "there is some good luck straightaway."
as India's 1983 World Cup heroes relived the historic occasion
by walking down the pitch and then victorious captain Kapil
Dev opening a champagne bottle from the hallowed balcony of
the Lord's pavilion on Wednesday night, as he did exactly 25
years ago.
"It (the 1983 victory) was one of the greatest moments in
history," both Kapil and BCCI President Sharad Pawar said.
Later at a dinner hosted in honour of the 15 men who had
created history, Pawar, along with liquor baron Vijay Mallya,
presented a replica of the Prudential Cup to each one of them.
Mallya, whose UB Group sponsored the event, unveiled a
cricket bat adorned with 25-carat diamonds and a specially
designed ball, encrusted with diamonds, which would be
auctioned by Sotheby's with the proceeds to be presented to
the 15 heroes equally.
Noting that the 1983 World Cup victory had given
"self-belief" to all the Indians, Pawar told the packed
gathering that both M.S. Dhoni, captain of the victorious
World Twenty20 Cup team, and Virat Kohli, who led India to
Under-19 World Cup title in Malaysia, were inspired by
'Kapil's Devils'.
Pawar said though an Indian team first visited England in
1932, "history was created by Kapil and his teammates by
winning the World Cup in 1983".
Kapil, who has fallen out with the BCCI after joining the
'rebel' ICL, thanked Pawar for honouring the cricketers.
"We are honoured and we would like to honour you with the
same respect for looking after cricketers," he said, while
also thanking Sunil Gavaskar for conceptualising the silver
jubilee celebration of India's victory here.
Pawar, on his part, praised Kapil for leading from the
front to win the World Cup. "Kapil really changed everything,"
pointed out Pawar, who said he had watched both India's
matches against Zimbabwe and final against the West Indies.
Noting that cricket is a religion in India, Pawar said,
"Today the major news in my country is the silver Jubilee
celebration of India's World Cup victory, though there is a
political crisis in the country."
Gavaskar, who booked the venue of the celebrations at the
Lord's after learning a year back that no cricket match was
being played on June 25, was all praise for Kapil Dev's
leadership. "He showed how to play a captain's innings and
rescue the team."
As in the celebrations in India, Kapil was the star
attraction at the Lord's function also.
Asked when the team started believing that they could win
the World Cup in 1983, Kapil said, "When we beat West Indies,
the twice Champions, in Manchester in the league stage. It was
then that we started believing in ourselves."
"The credit for the victory should go to everybody
including the media," he said, adding that nobody gave India
any outside chance to win the World Cup in 1983.
Asked about the prospects of India winning the next World
Cup in 2011, the legendary all-rounder said, "Why not. Now we
start believing that we have that capacity."
"India's victory also inspired Sri Lanka and Pakistan," he
said, adding, "Today, we are much more closer to winning the
Cup again."
Gavaskar concurred with Kapil saying, "Yes, we have plenty
of options now. In 2011 India will be able to break the jinx
of host countries not lifting the trophy."
Asked what he thought when he went to bat with India five
down for 17 in their match against Zimbabwe, Kapil said, "I
went in with the thought 'let me stay here'."
"Once we started getting runs, we consolidated our
position and in the last 5-6 overs scored about 70 to 80 runs.
India won the match by 31 runs."
Kapil revealed that he was reluctant to take up the
captaincy at that time as there were other senior and worthy
players. "Besides, because of lack of proficiency in English I
was reluctant to face the media."
He said he was sorry if he had "disturbed anybody's peace
of mind" as captain of the Indian team. "I remained cricket
captain on the field. If I said anything which has disturbed
anybody's peace of mind, I am sorry."
Asked whether there was any room to end rivalry between
ICL and IPL, Kapil Dev, who is Chairman of the 'rebel' ICL
group, quipped, "Let's see. Our job is to promote the game."
Kapil regaled the audience with a series of anecdotes
about each of his teammates.
Introducing Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Kapil praised him for
knocking down the wicket of much feared Gordon Greenidge early
in the final match against the West Indies.
"Later when Malcolm Marshall bowled a bouncer at Sandhu,
the normally quiet umpire Dicky Bird shouted at Marshal 'You
can't bowl like that to a 11th batsman'," Kapil remembered.
He said Dilip Vengsarkar had scored three centuries in
his three matches at the Lord's but he was not in the final
because of an injury. "Otherwise, our score would have been
283."
"Kirti Azad and Mohinder Amarnath bowled 24 overs giving
away 53 runs. How can England win if they could not face
India's part-time bowlers," Kapil said of the heroics of Azad
and Amarnath.
"Mohinder Amarnath was truly a champion alrounder, totally
underestimated by a lot of batsmen."
Kapil described Roger Binny as a "lovable character" who
would do anything for the captain while introducing Sandeep
Patil as a great cricketer and entertainer.
The legendary all-rounder wondered how Yashpal Sharma
proved himself a strong cricketer despite being a vegetarian.
As for wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani, Kapil said, "He
(Kirmani) was always late but was never late to take catches.
He is one of the best wicketkeepers India has ever produced."
He described Madan Lal as hardest and toughest cricketer
and Krishnamachari Srikkanth a great character.
"With a little more talent, Ravi Shastri, cricketer of the
cricketers, would have been one of the best cricketers in the
world," was how Kapil described the Shastri.
But, the best accolade was reserved for Gavaskar, whom
Kapil said he was not qualified to describe.
"He played for India when there were hardly any pace
bowlers at home. But he went to the West Indies and pulverised
their pacers, scoring hundreds after hundreds without wearing
a helmet. He taught us how not to lose a match. We love and
respect each other. He is the most straightforward cricketer I
have known," Kapil said of the legendary opener.
"We may have differences of opinion. That does not mean I
don't respect him. I respect him more than anybody else."
Kapil did not forget then manager Peter Mansingh whom he
thanked for "all good and bad things" he had done and
described him as one of the finest men.
"He looked after every needs of every team member."
As for Mallya, who financed the event, Kapil said, "We
sportspersons are proud of you and what you have done to
sportsmen in the country."
At the dinner, Mallya said, "It was truly a memorable
occasion to honour 1983 World Cup heroes. The UB Group has a
long and symbiotic relations with many sports for decades and
we have had the opportunity to be part of many milestones."
"The 1983 win was a special moment for India and this is
our tribute to these cricket icons and millions of cricket
fans in India."
The business tycoon invited every cricket aficionado in
the world to participate in the auction of the rare memento
and make the silver jubilee celebrations of India's World Cup
"truly memorable".
Mehul Choksi, Chairman Gitanjali Group, co-sponsor of the
event said, "Kapil Dev and his team created history at the
Lords in 1983. It was a match on which legends are written
even today. They are the gems in the truest sense."
Referring to the recently concluded IPL, Mallya said,
"Sports is integral part of the world and we would like to
promote the spirit of the game. With that in mind I bought the
Royal Challengers and hoped we will do better. I never gave
up. But nobody compliments me for sponsoring the Rajasthan
Royal Challengers which ultimately lifted the trophy."
He said, "We are proud owners of F1 and two leading
football clubs in India including Mohun Bagan." He also
thanked the MCC for making available the spectacular venue for
the celebrations.
Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Delhi
and District Cricket Association President Arun Jaitely was
also present on the occasion.
On the High Commissioner's presence at the dinner, Ravi
Shastri said Mukherjee was the High Commissioner of India when
M.S. Dhoni-led side won the World Twenty20 Cup in South
Africa and "there is some good luck straightaway."
