Former wicketkeeper batter Syed Kirmani revealed that he was in contention for India captaincy along with Dilip Vengsarkar ahead of the 1983 World Cup but the then selection panel zeroed in on legendary Kapil Dev to lead the country in the third edition of the tournament held in England.
Former India batter Ghulam Ahmed headed the panel that picked the India squad for the 1983 showpiece, while Bishan Singh Bedi, Pankaj Roy, Chandu Borde and Chandu Sarwate were his colleagues.
“There was a question during the 1983 tour of the West Indies before the World Cup. At that time, there was a move before they appointed Kapil Dev as the captain. There was a move between me and Vengsarkar,” Kirmani told PTI.
“This is the inside stuff which I heard. Should we make Vengsarkar the captain or Syed Kirmani? So, in this tussle, probably, they said, a wicket-keeper, why burden him?,” the former India wicketkeeper revealed.
Choice of Kapil Dev proves right
But the choice of Kapil did not go wrong as he led India to its first 50-over World Cup title. The ‘Kapil’s Devils’ knocked over the mighty West Indies by 43 runs at Lord’s 43 years ago — June 25, 1983 to be precise — to bag the World Cup, then known as the Prudential Cup.
Now, that epochal triumph will be celebrated in Mumbai on this June 25 by that team members, but Kirmani urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to suitably honour the pioneers.
“It should be the BCCI who should come forward in recognizing the ’83 World Cup players to celebrate every year on 25th June, which laid a huge foundation for the Board as well as the cricketers who are now enjoying the benefits of what they got after the ’83 World Cup.
“This should be remembered. Everybody remembers, everybody will remember 1983. It is like, you know, having the first love in everybody’s life. The first love can never be forgotten,” said Kirmani.
“So, on that count, I think we are celebrating the 25th of June. We are all assembling. It will probably be given publicity. If a sponsor had come forward, it would have been more publicity for that sponsor, right?
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“But I feel that the BCCI should do the needful in celebrating what we did in 1983 on the 25th of June. This will be a great celebration.” The 76-year-old stressed on his argument, citing the grand celebration BCCI conducted after India won the 2007 T20 World Cup in 2007 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“When Dhoni won after 28 years, a celebration which the BCCI did…none of the ’83 World Cup players were invited. It’s not a complaint, but it is a feeling of one and all. That we have forgotten. We laid the foundation for the current era of cricketers. We won and brought television.
“We brought money. Different concepts came in. Now, this 25th June, there is no sponsor. Each one of us are going on their own to meet one another and celebrate in Mumbai,” he said.
Role of wicketkeepers
Kirmani also used the Dhoni allegory to underline the transformation of wicketkeepers’ status in modern day cricket — from a mere ball-collector behind stumps to a more valued all-round cricketer.
“A wicket-keeper should be considered as an all-rounder. In my time, they never considered me as an all-rounder. They did not realise that a wicket-keeper is the most important aspect in cricket.
“He is the best judge of the game. He is the best guide to the bowlers, to the fielders and to find out the weaknesses of a batsman also. Dhoni proved it all,” he observed.
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