I was given a raw deal, and now my son is being targeted, says Syed Kirmani

1983 was a watershed moment in Indian cricket. Until that year, it was only strolling along, but in 1983 it finally found its feet and raced ahead.

A bunch of men, led by an inspired countryside man in Kapil Dev, defied all odds (66:1) and clinched the World Cup. And in the proverbial David vs Goliath clash, David stuttered, stood up, upstaged West Indies and finally broke away to emerge victorious.

Careers were made, players grabbed attention, endorsements finally made their way into cricket and more than anything else, players began to emerge from non-conventional centres.

Everything looked cosy for Indian cricket, players became icons and good times were finally here. Or were they?

Not every player was given the same treatment, and amidst all the glamour and glitz, Syed Kirmani slowly faded away. And he believes he was sidelined not because he was not performing, but because he was given a raw deal.

"I was sidelined when I was at the pinnacle of my career. These instructions came at someone's behest, I do not wish to name, but it was all a cooked-up story. The media went after me, and I definitely received a raw deal," a visibly irate Kirmani said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.

It should be mentioned here that Kirmani won the award for the best wicket-keeper in the 1983 World Cup, but then an unfortunate injury occurred in the 1985-86 series against Australia. He was forced to sit it out, and the likes of Chandrakant Pandit and Sadanand Vishwanath leapfrogged past him. Kirmani would never play international cricket again.

"Those were the days when they did not want to see me anymore. Probably they had seen enough of me and were tired of seeing me around. I was at the top of my game, and there were no communications made. I just kept wondering why," Kirmani added.

On Lodha Committee and cricket administration

The BCCI has lately been hogging all the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. The tussle with the Lodha Panel finally ended with the axing of Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke.

This has thrown the richest cricket board in the world into uncertain waters. However, Kirmani believes that the verdict is a positive step and that it should have come earlier.

"Whether or not there are people around, cricket will go on in the country. These are not uncertain times; on the contrary, it gives an opportunity to everyone else to give back to the game. One cannot be selfish all the time and one cannot want everything for himself," the former wicket-keeper said.

However, he made it clear that the role of the BCCI in the growth of Indian cricket can never be questioned.

"The BCCI have done a remarkable job in the development of cricket and cricketers. They have benefitted the cricketers immensely. Hats off to their efforts. But now the time has come to give an equal opportunity to everyone to serve the game," the Bangalorean added.

“I have never been allowed to serve Indian cricket”

According to the Supreme Court guidelines, no minister can hold any position in the cricket board. This has opened up avenues for many former cricketers to enter administration.

Kirmani is hopeful that he can finally break through, but at the same time claims that he has never been allowed to serve the game.

"I have never been given the opportunity to train and coach the young promising wicket-keepers in the country. I am open to anything now, I am willing to give back to the country in any capacity even now. I have been the KSCA head but was never promoted to serve BCCI. What is the reason, I do not know," Kirmani lamented.

He further said that the top brass kept believing that all the property was theirs, and they then brought their families in and never allowed anyone else to penetrate the inner circle.

Identification of coaches

Cricket is a huge game in India, and there is always a rush to get a chunk of the pie. There are plenty of people who have taken to coaching without actually playing the game, and this is what pains the legendary wicket-keeper.

"It is important to identify the right kind of people, people who have practical knowledge of the game and have played the game. But unfortunately, we have people who have just cleared the Grade A, B, C levels and are now part of the national coaching set-up. This is not justified," Kirmani said.

Plenty of prejudiced feelings around

Kirmani, who was one of the awardees of the Pride of Karnataka on January 9, said that there is a lot of prejudiced feelings around the game.

"If I did not play, how can he play. This was the feeling when I was playing. The people who played with me became my selectors. And then egos came in the way, and I had to face the brunt. Indian cricket has a lot of ego problems," Kirmani said.

Kirmani's son facing discrimination?

"We thought the cricketers would do a good job being at the helm of affairs, but then they are proving to be even worse. For instance, my son is being sidelined. He was the leading run-scorer in KPL, and was the highest six hitter, and yet has been sidelined. He has been showing remarkable consistency in the selection games, but to no avail," Kirmani said.

Sadiq Kirmani has indeed been in decent form in the ongoing season, and his father's complaints with the system seem justified.

"He is not even in the probables. You give him just two games and then discard him. Everyone is not KL Rahul or Karun Nair who can click in their very first game. But when you see the talent, it is evident.

“Even in my time, Kirmani was being picked at and was always being targeted. Times have changed, but even now a Kirmani is being victimised," an emotional Kirmani expressed.

Kirmani, now 67, also recalled an incident in Hyderabad to add to to his point.

"When he (Sadiq) was in Hyderabad for the Under-16 team, the coach of the team was given instructions to drop him, by whoever was at the helm of affairs. The coach stuck with him and Sadiq won them the game. When the match ended, the coach was sacked for not complying with the orders.

“Is this the way to encourage young talent? And what does this tantamount to; prejudice, bias and what else," Kirmani questioned.

He even recalled the IPL auctions and maintained that his son was given a raw deal.

"During the auctions, a player who had picked up two wickets in nine league matches was picked ahead of my son. Whom do I complain to, what do I say? Is this encouraging talent?" he glowered.

Not naming the person, Kirmani took pot-shots at the coach of the Karnataka team and questioned his approach and methods.

"Yes, Karnataka has won Ranji Trophy and several tournaments, but the credit goes to Vinay Kumar and his team. The coach has nothing to do with it. The captain and team take decisions in the centre. This is how things are going on, and it will go on because there is no check on it," the World Cup winner said.

On the legacy of MS Dhoni

Ever since MS Dhoni has decided to relinquish captaincy, there have been plenty of plaudits for the man. Kirmani has observed Dhoni closely and is an unabashed fan of the leader.

"It is a bold decision, and he has now achieved everything. What more (is there) to achieve? And he has been the best captain for the country," Kirmani said.

"He changed his game according to the scenario. When he started he was a flamboyant one, but then adjusted his game beautifully. He is content with what he achieved. He has always been a leader leading, and now I believe he has a lot of cricket left in him," the legendary wicket-keeper added.