'It Is Your Performance Which Matters'

Complete transcript of BBC Hindi special programme Aapki Bat BBC Ke Saath withthe one and only Kapil Dev

BBC : Do you agree with the perception that Pakistan team is notas strong as one would have expected them to be anddoes this put the home team at an advantage?

Kapil Dev : I think the first five days of the series -- the firsttest -- is very important. Both teams are tense at the moment and to releasepressure, both sides are saying the other is better. On paper one may say, theIndian side looks better, but let's remember that in actual match play, one brilliantperformance can change the match. Both teams want the first test to pass withoutany major upset, so that they can study the other side, but to make the seriesinteresting, attack would be the best policy.

BBC listener from Florida : Kapilji, our team has many brilliantperformers who do wonders individually, but when it comes to killer instinct, weseem to lack it as a team, when compared to others like Australia...

Kapil Dev : It is easier said than done. Our history has been such --whether it be sports, academics or any other field -- we have always believed inindividuals; that is the way our culture has been. However, during the last 10 yearsthere has been a change, and our team has been playing well. It takes a lot oftime to move away from anestablished practice, but I feel we are going in theright direction though there is a long way to be covered still. It unusuallytakes longer when you want to do something well.

BBC listener from Madhubani (Bihar) : Why can’t the Indianteam be selected on merit rather than going on big names. Sehwag plays only agood innings once out of 15 times when he goes out. Why is talent ignored inIndia? [This programme was telecast before the first test began]

Kapil Dev : Remember one thing, every player cannot be Sachin Tendulkarwho continues to score consistently for more than 15 years. Selectors have faithin their choice and they want to give time to any player to settle down, you canchange one or two players, but if you keep on making big and frequent changes inthe team, you are likely to unsettle everything. Even the new boys you bringinto the team would require some time to adjust to top level of the game,therefore you should have faith in your team -- and our players do come good atcrucial times.

BBC listener from Allahabad : Kapilji, what do you say aboutdropping of Mohammad Kaif from the team despite his good performances? Why isthere a lack of transparency in the selection process ?

Kapil Dev : It is easy to talk about any player who is dropped from thesquad. Who do you want out of the team? Sachin or Rahul or Sehwag? All I wantto say about the present lot which India has is that the boys are young, they havecourage and time on their side, and you cannot stop anybody for long if oneperforms well. You could delay someone, but you cannot deny them the chance -- ithas to come one day.

BBC listener from Jodhpur : Sir, why is there political interferencein the selection of our team? For example, why has Kaif been omitted and insteadYuvraj has been given a chance?

Kapil Dev : I think if a person is really involved in the game, such aview would not be there. Instead of just criticising the selectors for everymove they make, let us give them credit that they want a team which can win.There could be a difference of opinion, and criticism of selectors’ decisionshould be there, but to say that a particular player been dropped because ofpolitics is not right. We are reaching a stage where people would like toselect the team like the TV show Indian Idol, where your choice  isreflected by voting through SMS messages. If you want to remove the selectors,then what can I say?

BBC : Kapil, when traditional rivals India and Pakistan playagainst each other, what goes through the minds of the players, what sortof feelings are there?

Kapil Dev : Same feelings as I and you have about India-Pakistanmatches! If we were playing England, you would not have done this programme andspoken to many players. There is tremendous individual involvement of every citizenin an Indo-Pak match that players want to win the match at all cost. It ispeople like me and you who make the players tense.

BBC : Why does India lack quality all-rounders? There was a time whenyou were there, with many others who could bat and bowl. Today, though there areplayers like Irfan Pathan who can bat and bowl, but there seems no attentiontowards grooming them. Why is that?

Kapil Dev : Let me answer the second part of your question about Irfanfirst. Whether anyone recognises you or not is a side issue. It is yourperformance which matters. If you go out and score 40 to 50 runs frequently,nobody could stop you from being called an all-rounder. There is nothingextraordinary in being an all-rounder.

I was sent to bat at number 11 in my debut first class match.Remember, all players in the playing eleven get a chance to bat, one canunderstand the difficulty in winning the captain’s confidence to bowl, butbatting totally depends on individual will to excel. 

It is quite surprising why the boys do not want to fill the all-rounder slot, since so much one day cricket is being played,and newer versions ofthe game are coming -- I am myself surprised at this.  In fact, look at theworld level -- except three-four names, there are no genuine all-rounders in thegame.

It is easier to get into the side, if you are an all-rounder; itgives your captain more options in the team; choices increase.  We wereable to win the 1983 World Cup because of all-rounders. There were six or sevenall-rounders in that team. Maybe one might not have considered our all-roundersas world class, but they were an asset for the team. If one didn’t click anotherwould, whether it was batting or bowling, and if one was to fail in both, theirfielding was exceptionally good. Therefore, I fail to understand why theyoungsters today do not want to fill the all-rounder slot.

BBC : Do you see yourself in the role of a coach for the Indianteam in coming days, someone who could give the country another all-rounder?

Kapil Dev : I think if I (or any other player who has played for Indiafor that matter) say I want to do this and that, it is not workable. It is for the Board todecide whether it wants to make programmes which could make this possible. Wecould be considered as gold medalists of a university, and it is now up to theuniversity whether it wants to retain its old students -- a gold medalist cannotopen his own university. My view its that there is no former cricketer in thecountry who would not want to help the cause of Cricket here, but it is forthose who take decisions to see what they want.

BBC listener from Oman : Sir, we won the 1983 World Cup and 1985tournament in Australia, but after that we have not won any major tournament.Why is Indian team not consistent in its performance?

Kapil Dev : Consistency was neither there in the Indian team then, nor is it now. It is a batch of players at times who have performedwell, and given positive results. But if you look at the last two decades I thinkIndian Cricket has achieved a lot of  progress. Before the 1983 World Cup, India wasnot taken as a force to reckon with in international cricket. The scene hassince changed -- name any team in the world, nobody can afford to take Indialightly.

BBC listener from Delhi : Sir, our team has great names in batting,but bowling is weak and all-rounders are totally absent. You have achieved whatevery cricketer wants to, what in your view should be done to inculcate thekiller instinct in Indian team ?

Kapil Dev :   Killer instinct does not come from the Cricket team,it comes from your home, where you come from, what sort of environment you havelived in.  If you think that by being a member of the Indian team, one woulddevelop killer instinct overnight, then that is simply not going to happen. I feelthat if one has been brought up in an environment where you feel satisfied andhave a feeling of being content, then you cannot have the instinct. I agree withyou that the Indian team has big names, and in my view being a big name is notenough in the game of Cricket -- your statistics, averages and records do not mattertill the time you are able to win matches, and, believe me, big names have toreally work hard to be match winners. If you are unable to win matches, youwould not be counted among the great player.

BBC listener from Punjab : Sir, beatingPakistan in Pakistan last year was great. What scope do you see for the Indian teamduring this series ?

Kapil Dev : Every team wants to win a series abroad. At the moment,you have to see which team is better. We are playing at home and thepressure to win is on us. For the Indian team, it is a situation similar to whatPakistan faced last year. Expectations are high, and if the team does not win athome, it would face what Pakistan faced after Indians beat them last year. Itwould be said that the team is good only on paper. If India wants to improve itsratings and wants to be in top three, then it is important for India to win athome.

BBC : Kapil, Pakistan is playing this series without Shoaib. Inthese circumstances, what do you think are the strong and weak points of India,and how do you rate Pakistan?

Kapil Dev : We have many big names, but it is crucial that the namesshould match their performance -- this is our biggest strength and weakness too.Sometimes when there are many big names, one thinks someone or the other might steady theinnings, but it does not always happen. However, things would be clear only asthe series progresses. When we talk about an Indo-Pak series, remember players havenot only to play but to entertain also, let us hope for good cricket !

BBC : Kapil, who, in your view, holds the key to the series? Whichplayer could be the trump card in this series?

Kapil Dev : I think if we look at bowling, a lot depends on Anil Kumble.If he gets going, then he could change the match within two hours. Remember hehas done that many times in the past.  Similarly, from Pakistan point ofview, their skipper Inzamam holds the key. He has a good record against India,and in the conditions here, he could perform well. I do not agree with theperception that it is going to be easy for India, especially with Inzy there. SoAnil Kumble and Inzaman are the key players.

BBC listener from Bihwani (Haryana) : Sir, why is Indian battingorder shuffled around so much? It leads to inconsistent performance and doesIndia need a foreign coach in whose tenure we are ranked eighth in one daycricket?

Kapil Dev : During the past five to seven years, Indian team has beenperforming well, but what happens is that our expectations from the team arevery high and sometimes in our failure of judgement, we blame the team. So faras the issue of foreign coach is concerned, it is for the Board, and, in fact, thepresident of the Board is from your town, he should be answering this question-- since we are not a part of the Board, what can I say? But my view is that wehave very competent names in the country itself who are ready to help the team, but itis for the Board to decide.

BBC : Kapil, how do you rate Saurav as captain – successful orunsuccessful?

Kapil Dev :   I think he is very determined. When he took over thecaptaincy, there was a problem -- the team was in shambles and Sachin did not wantto lead the team. So for the first four years of his stint, Saurav did verywell. In the past two years, he has been under pressure since his own performancehas not been that good. But for a captain it is the team’s performance thathas to come first, rather than his individual performance. I think a captainshould forget about his own performance and should concentrate on how the teamis doing, and should adapt to what condition the team wants. If a captains’sperformance suffers but the team does well, it is okay; however if the captainwants to improve his individual performance at the cost of the team, it would bedetrimental for everyone. All in all, Saurav has done good work.

BBC : Kapil, are you worried with Sachin’sfitness and form?

Kapil Dev :   I am not worried. What do you want from Sachin? Hehas played superb cricket for the country during the past 15 years including, I would say, someunbelievable knocks. The player who plays for such a long period is bound tohave injuries and other similar problems. He is ageing, and one day hiscricketing career would also come to an end. We would see brilliant performancesfrom him off and on, but remember he is not twenty; he is not going to be twentyagain. The thing is that the expectation level from him is very high. We should notexpect what he used to do at 25; he is a different person now.

Sachem is immensely talented. It is totally up to him, how muchinterest he has in the game -- and that is what I am also interested in.  Oneneeds to see how he wants to play the game. He still has a lot of ability leftin him, fitness is the key but he is not 100 percent fit, so I cannot sayanything.