Gavaskar: ‘Sound thinking by C.K. Nayudu Awards Committee’

Gavaskar hoped that the awards will also be presented by distinguished former players.

Sunil Gavaskar is impressed by the choices for BCCI awards.

 

Legendary batsman and a pioneer in establishing lifetime achievements in cricket through the CEAT Cricket Ratings and Castrol Cricket Awards, Sunil Gavaskar has congratulated the three-member committee of Ramchandra Guha (Writer & Historian) , Diana Edulji (former India cricketer) and N. Ram (Chairman KSL and Publisher, The Hindu Group of publications) for choosing former left-arm spinners Padmakar Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel and Shanta for the Col. C.K.Nayudu Lifetime Achivement Award for 2016, Shanta Rangaswamy for the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 and V.V.Kumar and the late Ramakant Desai for the BCCI Special Awards 2016.

Shivalkar, Goel and Shanta will receive a citation and Rs. 25 lakh each while Kumar and Desai’s family will receive a citation and Rs. 15 lakh each. The BCCI’s Annual Awards function will be held at Bengaluru on March 8.

“One of the regrets I have is that, as the then captain of the Indian team I could not convince my fellow selectors to pick ‘Goel saab’ and ‘Paddy’ to play for India.”

“First things first. Congratulations to the committee that chose this year’s winners and special awards. The choice reflects the sound thinking that went into the decision making. All the winners are special cricketers who gave so much to Indian cricket and made it so much enjoyable. Their skills were absolutely terrific and watching them in action was an absolute delight.”

In a statement mailed to Sportstar , Gavaskar, who was chosen for the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, said: “One of the regrets I have is that, as the then captain of the Indian team I could not convince my fellow selectors to pick ‘Goel saab’ and ‘Paddy’ to play for India. They had the misfortune of the accident of birth that they were born in the same time as the greatest left hand bowler I have seen, Mr. Bishan Singh Bedi. Else they too would have played plenty of Tests for India.”

“As for Ramakant Desai and V.V.Kumar , they were such wonderful bowlers. More importantly they were modest to the core and hardly if ever spoke about their times. VV is still with us and am sure he will be as well groomed on the evening as he always was on and off the field.”

“Shantha is another well deserving choice. She was a titan when she played and her deeds are written in bold letters in the history of Indian women’s cricket.”

Gavaskar hoped that the awards will also be presented by distinguished former players. “I only hope that on the awards evening the winners will be presented their awards not just by the administrators, but also by the many distinguished former players who will attend the evening for that will surely make it even more memorable for the awardees. Congratulations to all of them, but even more so to the panel that selected them.”