‘Imran made Pakistan cricket team a cohesive unit. That ability has led to his rise in politics’
Abhimanyu.Mathur@timesgroup.com 30.07.2018
International cricket in the 1980s was brimming with superstars. Talk of batsmen and you had Vivian Richards, Javed Miandad, Martin Crowe, et al. The bowling cupboard was replete with the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Wasim Akram, and Bob Willis. But the players who dominated this era were four fast bowling allrounders — Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, and Imran Khan. Now, as one of that illustrious quartet is all set to assume the highest office in his land, we naturally turn to his Indian rival/counterpart/friend Kapil Dev on what Imran Khan as Prime Minister means for India-Pakistan relations, including the cricketing ties between the two nations.
“It’s a great achievement. Cricket is a tiny thing when compared to the country. Whatever he achieved on the field is dwarfed in front of this achievement,” says Kapil.
There is a lot Kapil has in common with Imran. They were both fast bowling allrounders. Both were World Cup-winning captains and both are widely considered to be among the best cricketers to have emerged from the subcontinent. Having played against Imran in 49 international matches, Kapil knows a thing or two about his former rival. Talking about the attributes that have helped him reach these heights, Kapil says, “He always had passion. You can still see that in him. It took him 25 years to get where he is now in his political career, and he has worked hard for it. I think he is a good leader. He has shown that in cricket, and I hope that he can take Pakistan towards betterment as Prime Minister, too.”
KAPIL DEV
THE GOOD OLD DAYS: Imran Khan, Kapil Dev in the early ’90s
‘Whatever Imran achieved on the cricket field is dwarfed in front of this one achievement’
The former India captain says Imran’s leadership skills, which helped him bring several of Pakistan’s mercurial cricketers together, have also worked well in his political career. “His greatest achievement was to make the Pakistan team a cohesive unit. That team contained some very talented but ego-centric players. He got them all to play together and do well together. That ability of his to get such diverse people together is what — I believe — has led him to such heights in the world of politics,” Kapil says.
Of course, as a cricketer, Kapil says that Imran’s victory brings him personal joy, too. He elaborates, “Personally speaking, it feels great that a cricketer who represented his country, and someone whom I know personally, is now the Prime Minister of his country. There have been cricketers who have been MPs and ministers, but this is unprecedented. I hope this inning of Imran is even better than his previous one.”
Many have also posited that with a cricketer now leading Pakistan, the time might soon come when India and Pakistan will play bilateral cricket series again, something they haven’t since 2007. However, Kapil says that cricket might be on Imran’s agenda given that he is a former cricketer himself, but we should not mistake that it will be one of his top priorities. He says, “Imran has already stated that he wants better relations with India, so I’m hopeful that the cricketing ties between the two nations will resume. I’m a firm believer that the two countries should play bilateral series, but I think he would have greater concerns right now. Sports would come later. Imran is a cricketer himself, so I know that will be on his mind as well, but probably not as his top priority.”
The Indian all-rounder is also irked by a lot of news outlets focussing on Imran’s personal life right now. He tells us, “Why bring all that up now? Let’s talk about all the good the man has done. He won his country a World Cup, made them into one of the best teams in the world. Let us hope he can work with the same honesty and zeal as the PM, too.”
Kapil Dev and Imran Khan in Canada in early ’90s
‘WHEN SOMEONE IS SO CLEAR IN THEIR THINKING, LIKE IMRAN IS, ONE CANNOT DEBATE THEIR POLITICS’
KAPIL DEV
Kapil and Imran met several times after they both retired from the game, but Kapil says even though Imran had already floated his party by then, politics was never discussed by the two. “We usually talked cricket only,” says Kapil. However, he remembers one incident when he felt compelled to ask Imran about his fiery brand of politics. He recounts, “I did ask him once that why was he so aggressive in his speeches. I wanted to know if he had thought it through, given the political climate in Pakistan. He just said that he wasn’t afraid to die fighting for the cause he believed in. When someone is so clear in their thinking, one cannot debate them and their politics.”
Abhimanyu.Mathur@timesgroup.com 30.07.2018
International cricket in the 1980s was brimming with superstars. Talk of batsmen and you had Vivian Richards, Javed Miandad, Martin Crowe, et al. The bowling cupboard was replete with the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Wasim Akram, and Bob Willis. But the players who dominated this era were four fast bowling allrounders — Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, and Imran Khan. Now, as one of that illustrious quartet is all set to assume the highest office in his land, we naturally turn to his Indian rival/counterpart/friend Kapil Dev on what Imran Khan as Prime Minister means for India-Pakistan relations, including the cricketing ties between the two nations.
“It’s a great achievement. Cricket is a tiny thing when compared to the country. Whatever he achieved on the field is dwarfed in front of this achievement,” says Kapil.
There is a lot Kapil has in common with Imran. They were both fast bowling allrounders. Both were World Cup-winning captains and both are widely considered to be among the best cricketers to have emerged from the subcontinent. Having played against Imran in 49 international matches, Kapil knows a thing or two about his former rival. Talking about the attributes that have helped him reach these heights, Kapil says, “He always had passion. You can still see that in him. It took him 25 years to get where he is now in his political career, and he has worked hard for it. I think he is a good leader. He has shown that in cricket, and I hope that he can take Pakistan towards betterment as Prime Minister, too.”
KAPIL DEV
THE GOOD OLD DAYS: Imran Khan, Kapil Dev in the early ’90s
‘Whatever Imran achieved on the cricket field is dwarfed in front of this one achievement’
The former India captain says Imran’s leadership skills, which helped him bring several of Pakistan’s mercurial cricketers together, have also worked well in his political career. “His greatest achievement was to make the Pakistan team a cohesive unit. That team contained some very talented but ego-centric players. He got them all to play together and do well together. That ability of his to get such diverse people together is what — I believe — has led him to such heights in the world of politics,” Kapil says.
Of course, as a cricketer, Kapil says that Imran’s victory brings him personal joy, too. He elaborates, “Personally speaking, it feels great that a cricketer who represented his country, and someone whom I know personally, is now the Prime Minister of his country. There have been cricketers who have been MPs and ministers, but this is unprecedented. I hope this inning of Imran is even better than his previous one.”
Many have also posited that with a cricketer now leading Pakistan, the time might soon come when India and Pakistan will play bilateral cricket series again, something they haven’t since 2007. However, Kapil says that cricket might be on Imran’s agenda given that he is a former cricketer himself, but we should not mistake that it will be one of his top priorities. He says, “Imran has already stated that he wants better relations with India, so I’m hopeful that the cricketing ties between the two nations will resume. I’m a firm believer that the two countries should play bilateral series, but I think he would have greater concerns right now. Sports would come later. Imran is a cricketer himself, so I know that will be on his mind as well, but probably not as his top priority.”
The Indian all-rounder is also irked by a lot of news outlets focussing on Imran’s personal life right now. He tells us, “Why bring all that up now? Let’s talk about all the good the man has done. He won his country a World Cup, made them into one of the best teams in the world. Let us hope he can work with the same honesty and zeal as the PM, too.”
Kapil Dev and Imran Khan in Canada in early ’90s
‘WHEN SOMEONE IS SO CLEAR IN THEIR THINKING, LIKE IMRAN IS, ONE CANNOT DEBATE THEIR POLITICS’
KAPIL DEV
Kapil and Imran met several times after they both retired from the game, but Kapil says even though Imran had already floated his party by then, politics was never discussed by the two. “We usually talked cricket only,” says Kapil. However, he remembers one incident when he felt compelled to ask Imran about his fiery brand of politics. He recounts, “I did ask him once that why was he so aggressive in his speeches. I wanted to know if he had thought it through, given the political climate in Pakistan. He just said that he wasn’t afraid to die fighting for the cause he believed in. When someone is so clear in their thinking, one cannot debate them and their politics.”
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