Kapil Dev is happy India has won its fourth cricket World Cup after 1983, 2007 and 2011. “It is great to see the players capitalising on the support from the Board. Indian cricket is in a very healthy state,” the former India captain said.
But Kapil is also in distress at the state of former India opener and coach Aunshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer and struggling to meet the medical expenses. His teammates are understandably disturbed.
“It is a sad and very depressing,” said Kapil when we reached out to know what Gaekwad’s contemporaries are doing to help him.
“I am in pain because I have played alongside Aunshu and can’t bear to see him in this state. No one should suffer. I know the Board will take care of him” Kapil told Sportstar.
Kapil, Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Ravi Shastri and Kirti Azad are actively contacting friends and corporates to seek support for Gaekwad in his difficult times.
“We are not compelling anyone. Any help for Aunshu will have to come from your heart. He took blows on his face and chest when standing up to some of the ferocious fast bowlers. Now is the time for us to stand up for him. I am sure our cricket fans will not fail him. They should pray for his recovery,” an emotional Kapil stressed
How best to tackle such medical contingencies? Kapil was candid: “Unfortunately, we don’t have a system. It is great to see this generation of players make good money. It is good to see the support staff members also being paid well. In our time, the Board did not have the money. Today, it has and should take care of the senior players from the past,” stated Kapil.
While fans and former players have come in support, Kapil feels a Trust should be established to ease the process. “But where do they send their contributions? If a Trust is formed, they can put their money there. But we don’t have a system. There should be a Trust. I think BCCI can do that. They do look after the players, former and present.”
Gaekwad had travelled to London and returned a month back to continue the treatment in Baroda. He is all set to get a commitment package from the 1983 World Cup-winning team. “We are ready to contribute by donating our pension amount if the family allows us to,” Kapil added.
Urging the cricket Board to set up a three-member committee of eminent cricketers to handle medical cases for former players, the former India captain said: “Cricketers from my generation and the previous one did not make enough money from playing cricket. Many of them have lived and died in poverty. We must care for them when dealing with medical treatment. If we don’t look after our parents, who would?”
The 71-year-old Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 205 First Class matches in a career spanning 22 years. He later took over as coach of the Indian team. His glorious moments came at Sharjah in 1998 and Ferozeshah Kotla when Anil Kumble took all ten wickets in an innings against Pakistan in 1999.
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