It’s neither Sachin Tendulkar nor M.S. Dhoni. Legendary Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi wants youngsters to follow in the footsteps of England skipper Alastair Cook. Bedi, who was in the city to deliver a lecture on the ‘credibility of cricket’, feels Cook has all the attributes to be an inspirational personality.
“He has been a superb player for England and has carried himself brilliantly off the field. That makes him a special character in the modern day cricketing arena,” said Bedi.
Excerpts:
On cricket facing a credibility crisis: I would like to recall the bodyline tactics of former England skipper Douglas Jardine during a series against Australia in 1932. It drew a lot of criticism and later cricket’s governing body came up with a rule for number of fielders on the leg-side. Ball tampering was also brought in by players. They used bottle caps and grease to take undue advantage. It forced another rule change — ball to be given to the umpire after a wicket is taken. All these incidents clearly suggest that it has always been the players who brought disrepute to the game.
On money and youngsters: When I started playing the game, we were paid just `250 per match. Once when we beat New Zealand in four days, our pay was reduced to `200!. Nowadays, players earn astonishing money. There is a central contract, match fees and players are also employed by big companies. But, youngsters are not so passionate about the game. They are losing focus when they see big money. There is no motivation to represent the country.
On the cricketer he admires the most: Sir Don Bradman is a great person. He stands tall because of his integrity. I have spoken to him on a few occasions. Once, I asked him if he would have scored as many runs during this era as he had in his days. He said that he was not sure whether he would have got those runs but he felt the modern day bowlers would not have taken his wicket!
On the spot-fixing saga: No one can find out the modus operandi of the fixers or those involved. ICC is doing its best to curb such activities. A good cricketer is one good student of the game and a good administrator is one servant of the game and not a boss, because cricket is the boss. But nothing has changed. There is nothing as such called stepping aside or stepping down. There is a difference, you know.
On bowlers with suspect action: I’m always against bowlers who chuck. Even Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) had asked me why I was against his bowling style. I have criticised a lot about Muttiah Muralitharan’s action. I love cricket when it’s played in a fair manner. ICC should not have relaxed on the degree of the bending of the arm.
On Lasith Malinga’s action: It’s clean. It is one of the hardest bowling styles I have ever seen. The pace and consistency at which he bowls is phenomenal. I would not encourage a youngster to bowl like Malinga because he is a rare breed.
On batsmen ‘walking’ when out: You don’t get to see that often these days. Adam Gilchrist did it. Stuart Broad showed that he was not a ‘walker’ in the first Ashes Test. I feel professionalism has a major part to play. Players do not want to get out early or let their country down. Youngsters need to be taught the importance of ‘walking’. Cheating has no place in cricket.