indianexpress.com :: World Cup low should never get repeated: Kapil

World Cup low should never get repeated: Kapil

Agencies

Posted online: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 at 1951 hrs IST

Mumbai, March 5:
India’s lone one-day World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev hopes the despair that the country’s millions of cricket fans felt post India’s humiliating exit from the last edition of the mega event in West Indies would never be repeated again.

“I hope the low we felt after the World Cup never comes back in my lifetime. I don’t want to see such a low again,” said the former India skipper after launching the second edition of the rebel Indian Cricket League’s Twenty20 event as its Executive Board Chairman in Mumbai.

The ‘Haryana Hurricane’ welcomed the success experienced by the Indian team in Australia and the under 19 team in Malaysia and said “Many good things are happening in cricket”.

“We want to take cricket to every nook and corner of the country. Who would have imagined a few years ago that a player from Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would one day lead the country”.

“More such leagues are needed to be taken to smaller centres to help future Dhonis, Praveen Kumars, Irfan Pathans and Harbhajan Singhs the chance to play”, he said.

Kapil also praised pacer Ishant Sharma’s meteoric rise and asked whether anyone would have believed before the Australian tour that the lanky speedster could break the 150-kmph mark.

The great all rounder did not think that the surfeit of Twenty20 cricket around the world would affect interntional cricket as is in existence, and on the contrary said it will further improve 50-over games and Test cricket.

“When the 50-over game began, did it affect (the running) of Test cricket? But after the one-day game started Test cricket became faster and more action-packed as compared to the cricket played in the 1960s,” Kapil pointed out.

“As compared to earlier days now more runs are made and teams believe they can chase even 380 runs in a day. I, as a bowler, want swing bowling to come back. But we have seen so many sixes being hit in the last seven years. People want to watch more boundary hits. Twenty20 cricket is here to stay,” he remarked.

“Ultimately it’s upto the people to accept or reject. If tomorrow people stop watching 20-20 it will die,” he retorted.

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World Cup low should never get repeated: Kapil Agencies Posted online: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 at 1951 hrs IST Mumbai, March 5: India’s lone one-day World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev hopes the despair that the country’s millions of cricket fans felt post India’s humiliating exit from the last edition of the mega event in West Indies would never be repeated again. “I hope the low we felt after the World Cup never comes back in my lifetime. I don’t want to see such a low again,” said the former India skipper after launching the second edition of the rebel Indian Cricket League’s Twenty20 event as its Executive Board Chairman in Mumbai. The ‘Haryana Hurricane’ welcomed the success experienced by the Indian team in Australia and the under 19 team in Malaysia and said “Many good things are happening in cricket”. “We want to take cricket to every nook and corner of the country. Who would have imagined a few years ago that a player from Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would one day lead the country”. “More such leagues are needed to be taken to smaller centres to help future Dhonis, Praveen Kumars, Irfan Pathans and Harbhajan Singhs the chance to play”, he said. Kapil also praised pacer Ishant Sharma’s meteoric rise and asked whether anyone would have believed before the Australian tour that the lanky speedster could break the 150-kmph mark. The great all rounder did not think that the surfeit of Twenty20 cricket around the world would affect interntional cricket as is in existence, and on the contrary said it will further improve 50-over games and Test cricket. “When the 50-over game began, did it affect (the running) of Test cricket? But after the one-day game started Test cricket became faster and more action-packed as compared to the cricket played in the 1960s,” Kapil pointed out. “As compared to earlier days now more runs are made and teams believe they can chase even 380 runs in a day. I, as a bowler, want swing bowling to come back. But we have seen so many sixes being hit in the last seven years. People want to watch more boundary hits. Twenty20 cricket is here to stay,” he remarked. “Ultimately it’s upto the people to accept or reject. If tomorrow people stop watching 20-20 it will die,” he retorted.