Kapil Dev (India)
 | India’s “Cricketer of the Century” broke numerous records, including taking the most test wickets. Kapil was one of the world’s great all-rounders, uncannily able to turn games around. His 175 not out against Zimbabwe in India’s famous 1983 World Cup campaign remains one of the top-10 scores in one-day internationals. Kapil does a lot of charity work in India and around the globe. |
Interview with Kapil Dev
Tyler Foundation (TF): First of all Kapil, we’re thrilled to be hosting you in Japan in September!! Could you tell us what you’ve been doing since you retired from cricket? You are a family man and have a daughter?
Kapil Dev (Kapil): Well, first I’ve been attending to my family business, taking care of that and then I started playing golf. And charity. These are the three things that have been most important to me once I retired.
TF: What kind of charitable work are you doing?
Kapil: I have an organization here which works for the poor and tries to educate them, tries to find jobs for them, tries to teach them to work and not be ashamed about doing any kind of work.
TF: We heard that you are a Laureus member (http://www.laureus.com) and recently attended their annual awards dinner. Can you tell us more about that organization?
Kapil: Laureus does a lot of work for charity. We have 42 members from different sports and different parts of the world. We all get together and try to see what we can do through sports. Because sports has the power to change the world. That’s the angle we take.
TF: Well, that’s what we’re trying to achieve in Japan through your visit; make some positive change through sport.
Kapil: Well, a lot of people ask me why I do charity. If you don’t feel within yourself that you want to do something good for society or good for the world, then there’s no point doing it. But if you really fell strongly, one should spend 5% of their time or life giving back to the people who require help. I think it makes a big difference. And I also want to do that.
TF: Moving to cricket and speaking of your illustrious career, what are some of your most memorable moments?
Kapil: Well, there are my personal best moments and those of my country and they may be different. But I think picking up the World Cup (1983) was the most important thing for me and for my country.
TF: And you held the record for the highest number of test wickets. Are records important to you?
Kapil: At that time it was important. You have to have some goal and work for it. The idea of every human being is to achieve something. And your goals should be very clear. At that time when I was playing, my goal was to be number one in the world. And I achieved that. So, you fell happy and you feel proud about that.
TF: You were also named India’s Player of the Century. That must be a great honor as well?
Kapil: I think for me or any sportsmen if someone says you are the best sportsmen in the sport you play, that is the biggest honor a sportsperson can ever get. There can’t be a bigger honor than that in my mind.
TF: You played in an era when there were some great all rounders. Other than you, there was Imran, Sir Richard Hadlee and Ian Botham. What is the future of the ‘Great All Rounder’ There seem to be fewer great all rounders in today’s game.
Kapil: I’m a little surprised considering the way cricket is played. We should have more all rounders. Every team requires all rounders. But unfortunately we haven’t seen as many in recent times. It surprises me and I hope it will change in coming years.
TF: In your long test career, you encountered many players. Who were some of the most difficult batsmen to bowl at?
Kapil: I think… (Laughs) The easier question is not which are the most difficult batsmen but who were the most interesting batsmen!! To me, interesting is someone who is ready to take a challenge, someone who is looking to take you apart. Somebody who is difficult is somebody, like Geoffrey Boycott, who will play ten overs and not get many runs. And make me tired! That’s a difficult batsman, not an interesting batsman. Somebody like Vivian Richards is the most interesting batsman I ever bowled to because if I bowl a good ball, he can still hit it for four and he’s ready to take a challenge. That way I bowl better to respond to the challenge. So, interesting batsmen were people like Vivian Richards, difficult batsmen were people who don’t get runs, who just stick around at the crease.
TF: Which bowlers were the most challenging to face?
Kapil: It’s a similar thing. When I’m in great nick, it doesn’t matter which bowler is bowling – I find everyone is easy. But when I’m not playing well, even a street bowler would look difficult to me! (laughs) My own performance tended to make a bowler look much better or more ordinary. But I would say, Richard Hadlee was a very interesting bowler. And Wasim Akram was another one who could do lots with the ball and could win matches.
TF: Any great spinners you can mention?
Kapil: Spinners used to come much easier to me but I think Qadir was a very fine bowler in our period. And we had our own Bishen Bedi and Prasanna who were very good during that period. And today Shane Warne and Muralitharan are fantastic bowlers. Unbelievable ability and talent they have. Amazing the control they have and how they perform.
TF: You took many wickets in India where the pitches are said to be less suitable for pace bowlers. How did you get wickets in those conditions?
Kapil: Let’s put in this way. I learned my cricket in the part of the world. So, I was never taught that these pitches are not suitable for me. I used to go in and say all kinds of pitches are suitable for me and I have to take wickets. I never decided I’m not enjoying these kinds of wickets – that was an important difference.
TF: The other day we interviewed Mike Gatting and he mentioned that playing in India could be quite intimidating? What are your thoughts on playing in India for visiting teams?
Kapil: I would say the same thing, playing in a country you are not used to is challenging. People are always more comfortable playing in the country they were born in, brought up in and where they learned their cricket. So, India can be intimidating for someone who comes from Europe, England or Australia because the crowds are large and the noise is so much. It is difficult but if you are playing sports at an international level, it can’t be avoided.
TF: What were some of your favorite venues you played at outside of India?
Kapil: I think Johannesburg was very nice, Melbourne, Lords. I enjoyed the Caribbean also. I think the people in Barbados made playing there enjoyable. Jamaica was a beautiful smaller ground. And the cricketers we played against there were such fantastic cricketers during that period. Playing there was a real treat.
TF: You made your debut at Faisalabad in 1978 against Pakistan. One of the most exciting contests in Test cricket is the India - Pakistan rivalry. How do you look back on the rivalry with Pakistan over the years?
Kapil: Well, I always feel that when two brothers are separated, both want to be the best in the world. The competition between them can be so hard. If you look at it that way, this was one country and we made it two countries so both countries want to dominate against each other! That’s why that contest will always remain much bigger than anything else. Because no one wants to lose. So, the hostility and commitment of people and the players will come to the fore.
TF: India has had some great players in the modern era especially batsmen such as Ganguly, Tendulkar, Laxman and Sehwag. Do you think India is performing to its potential?
Kapil: I would say they have the ability and talent at this moment but we are lacking the commitment of all eleven because individual players becoming great can be important but if you are not winning for the team or for your country, those great players will not become the greatest players. So, they have the ability but unfortunately they should have won more matches than they are.
TF: Moving onto captaincy, which great captains have you played against, or under?
Kapil: A lot depends on the team you have. In our time, I played against a lot of captains and take somebody like Clive Lloyd. People say he had a great team but I would say that putting all of those 14 or 15 people together is not so easy when you say there are about 15 countries playing. Jamaica is a country, Barbados is a different country and so on. And still those countries come and play under one umbrella and they have to perform and respect the captain. I have a lot of time for a captain like Imran Khan. Or the Sri Lankan Ranatunga whose team was a very committed team, not a very strong team. Very talented but lacking the confidence to play against the best teams. But all of a sudden Ranatunga came in and he started to give confidence to the players.
TF: You know, we’ve got a really good group of players coming out to Japan including Clive Rice and Graeme Pollock from South Africa. In the latter part of your career you played against South Africa after they emerged from isolation. What are your thoughts on some of the South Africans you encountered?
Kapil: I think they were very… (laughs) they are typical African people!! Very hard and tough and not like English players. They were much tougher and I think the weather really suited them in Africa! And I feel sorry for them that they couldn’t play many years of international cricket. Players like Pollock who could have been one of the greatest batsmen. I feel sorry he played at a time when they couldn’t play. They produced some of the finest, like Donald was one of the finest bowlers I have seen. So, I think they have much more to offer to cricket than what we have seen.
TF: Have you been to Japan before?
Kapil: No. No. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Japan and have heard a lot about it. Japan is such a strong country in the world in terms of economy. I’m looking forward to it.
TF: And we’re looking forward to having you!!