Kapil Dev explains comments about Sachin

Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev had been criticised for his comments about Sachin Tendulkar

Former Indian captain and all-rounder, Kapil Dev was disappointed that his recent comments about Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar were taken out of context and misunderstood according to a report on The Hindu. Kapil was subject to a lot of criticism after making the comments at an event in Dubai.

Kapil mentioned about how he meant his criticism to be more constructive rather than cause as much controversy as it did. Kapil spoke about how Sunil Gavaskar had challenged him and how it helped him to try and become a better batsman.

“Gavaskar used to say that I should have scored 5000 runs more than what I did. In hindsight, I agree I should have taken my batting seriously. But importantly, I didn’t take Gavaskar’s remark in the wrong sense. He challenged me and I accepted it,” Kapil said.

Kapil described his criticism of India's former opener as something an elder brother would tell his younger brother. The 56-year-old felt that Sachin could have and should have achieved more than what he did. Kapil stated that Sachin was worth more than what he was seen as by fellow cricketers and fans.

He termed the controversy as ‘needless’ and showered praises on the ‘Little Master’. “Sachin, I’ve always said, was a fabulous cricketer and more talented than Viv (Richards). He had the calibre to be as ruthless, or more, but did not deliver as much as I had expected. He got 100 international 100s but his potential was greater,” Kapil said.

“How else could I have described him? He was an underachiever and that I maintain was a compliment. He could have done better. Am I wrong?” he continued.

Kapil also mentioned about how the Sachin of the past was a much more attacking player than what he finally turned out to be. He felt that Sachin should have continued to adapt with the changing times and should have been more ruthless.

“Sachin was clearly ahead of his time, but he did not grow as I wanted him to grow. I loved the Sachin of Sharjah 1998 when he clubbed the Australians. His dominance was complete and stroke-play so imperious. He made good bowlers look ordinary, could hit boundaries at will but that Sachin was lost somewhere as his career progressed,” he stated.

Kapil Dev had also criticised Mumbai cricketers and their style of batting. He believed that players from Mumbai were not as brutal as players from other parts of the country. Just being technically supreme was not something that, Kapil felt, was sufficient in modern day cricket.

“It is not about Mumbai, Haryana or Delhi. It is about Indian cricket... Also, (Ajit) Wadekar Sir should please understand that I am a true Indian and Mumbai is part of us. I am a Bombaywalah too,” Kapil said.