I contacted Anshuman Gaekwad over telephone on the afternoon of June 7 whileresearching the Drugs and Cricket story. During the course of our conversation,I asked Gaekwad about the prevalence of performance enhancing drugs likesteroids in the Indian cricket team and whether it had contributed to theimprovement in performance of Indian cricketers. Mr Gaekwad's reply was "Iagree to that'' and he further talked of how players today are required to keepthemselves fit and elaborated on the "burn-out phenomenon".
I specifically told Mr Gaekwad that the magazine was trying to put together astory on the use of performance enhancing drugs by Indian cricketers. On thissubject, I requested him to give me a detailed interview. Gaekwad promptlyagreed. In fact, I told him that if he was reluctant to discuss some aspects ofthe subject "off-the-record", he was free to do so. He, instead,assured me that he had absolutely no problems to discuss the matter openly.
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When I asked him if I could come over to Baroda that weekend (June 9-10),Gaekwad told me that he would be in town and was not travelling out till the endof the month. His reply was:"Come anytime. There are no problems.''
Without losing any time, I landed in Baroda the next morning (June 8). Icould not inform him of my travel plans the previous night for he had left theoffice and his cellular phone was also switched off.
On June 8, I called up Gaekwad at his office (10 a.m.) on my arrival inBaroda. Inititally, he said we could meet up the same afternoon but since he wascaught up with work, he postponed our meeting till the next morning -June 9 The next day, Gaekwad, himself picked me up from Sayaji Hotel at 9.05 a.m. whereI was put up, and drove me to his Gujarat Fertilisers and Chemicals Limitedoffice. During the twenty-minute drive from the hotel, we talked of many thingsincluding the state of cricket following the match-fixing scam.
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At one point, Gaekwad remarked: "Yes, indeed....the match-fixing was abad phase in cricket..so much so that every match that we lose, is suspected tobe fixed.''
He also talked of how the number of youngsters aspiring to be cricketers hadreduced in numbers after the match-fixing scam and that fewer parents wereencouraging their children to opt for cricket as a career option.
The interview began around 9.30 a.m. at Gaekwad's office:
Following is theunedited and complete interview which ran for over an hour and a half.
A: Okay, so what is that you want?
O: Mr Gaekwad, as I told you, we (Outlook) are doing a story on the use ofperformance enhancing drugs by Indian cricketers. But to begin with, what arethe significant changes you think that the cricket has undergone. For example,you have been associated with the Indian cricket scene for last 25 years as aplayer and then coach...
A: Oh yes. Cricket has undergone a major change in last few years. Batsmen havebecome more impatient... The game has become very fast. The changes began from1983 onwards and picked up in the 1990s. The frequency of one day internationalsto Test matches has gone up. More so it is the ODI mentality that is nowprevailing over the Test matches. The analysis of the game has improved.....theplan of the game has improved..... Sanath Jaisuriya changed the profile of thegame. He took most of the strike initially and scored most in the first 15 overs.This was just the opposite of our traditional style you see. Like we werecareful of not losing the wickets and relied heavily on the slog overs.
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O: It is generally said that the Sri Lankans added pace to the game...
A: That's true....they put the game on fast track. So, earlier while a littleover 200 would be considered a big score, today even 300 is not seen as animpossible task....One more reason here is that fast pitches are delivering goodscores....
(The conversation on playing conditions and cricket pitches carries onover a cup of coffee with brief halts, as Gaekwad checks his email and clearsofficial work)
O: Do you see any noticeable changes in the Indian team? .....Like theirperformance.
A: Certainly. The unbelievable enhancement in the performance of cricketers isthe most significant change in Indian cricket. We are producing more successfulbowlers and batsmen, something we could have never imagined. Moreover,cricketers have become health conscious. In fact, many of them have their ownpersonal fitness trainers.
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O: But like you said the other day that modern drugs like steroids whichenhance the performance have helped the cricketers a lot....
A: Yes...It has helped cricketers tremendously.
O: How prevalent is that.?...could you elaborate..
A: When I was coach, a few batsmen and all the fast bowlers would have it during(the drinks break) to pep them up.
O: Could you tell what was the composition?
A: I didn't know the exact composition but it could have been amphetamines,stimulants or something else.....
O: How did they take it?
A: A readymade powdered formulation, ..imported from Australia... it was mixedwith water for boosting energy...... If I am right, the physio, Andrew Leipus,procured it and it was very expensive.
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O: But the other drugs...
A: Besides these, steroids and ......cortisones are regularly used by Indianplayers.....These are very common.
O: Can you cite some examples of players...like who have been benefitted?
A: Take the case of Ajit Agarkar. He hardly had any muscles to back up hisbowling stride and action. As a result, he got injured frequently. But onceLeipus treated him, he developed stronger legs...... a better shoulder andbowling arm. Similarly, (Javagal) Srinath, who also had a weak back andshoulder, started becoming sinewy and began to put on weight. The same goes forRahul Dravid. ... Rahul Dravid has also improved a lot....See, now.. Srinath isback into the game.
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O: But does it have a tangible effect on the cricketers?
A: (Pauses) See...every cricketer has some limitations as far as hisstrengths are concerned.... A bowler may have strong shoulders but a weak back.It is here that drugs and fitness therapies play a major role to overcome suchshortcomings. Doses of steroids help in quick recoveries and help put on muscleas well. Look at (Mohammed) Azharuddin, he was on steroids during the 1992-93season, which is why he gained a lot of weight.....In fact, sports medicine hastotally changed the outlook of the game. You cannot change the skills of playersbut this adds to the critical aspect of enhancing performance.
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O: What about fitness therapies?
A: The modern technology makes it very simple. The analysis tells you exactlywhere you need to put in extra effort....and tells you where you can getinjuries. Australia and South Africa have such facilities. We had these lacunaes...butnow fitness programmes are also helping the players a lot. Andrew Leipus isdoing several things....its no more India type medical thing, earlier we hardlyhad these facilities. Like when we were playing at Nairobi, Dravid and Agarkarwould sweat a lot...and had cramps...Leipus gave them some salts and also askedthem to drink a lot of water.
O: What are your views on the use of steroids and other performanceenhancing drugs in cricket? Like some former cricketers we spoke to.. they saidits good if steroids improve the performance of the player. Do you support itsuse?
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A: We have enough talent in our country. We cannot condone the act of anycricketer taking steroids or other external agents to boost performance.....Ifsome players are using it, then everybody should be allowed. There has to be alevel playing field. Like Sachin (Tendulkar) is definitely talented. But thatextra dose of steroid helps him hit the ball with greater punch. So if youinject Sachin with muscle-strengthening drugs, then its not fair....
Cricketers should play to their natural strengths. Being fitness-consciousand educated about sports medicine is one thing, but that does not meancricketers should be allowed to use drugs. The use of drugs to gain an edge overothers is unethical. The talent has to be original......then its not thereal player...whatever is natural....that's best.
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O: Performance enhancing drugs.....advanced sports medicine.....fitnesstherapies....don't you think that the present day cricketers have greateradvantages....
A: Absolutely true. Like for us, the pads and gloves were so weak....that wewould get hit through it...and thigh pads, we didnt have any....advancedequipments, gears, I don't think anybody would get hit so seriously now...as weused to.....
O: What about team discipline during your times?
A: Our times.....we had nothing like curfew. But discipline has improvednow..the players follow the routine on their own.
Q. Do you see any noticeable difference in attitude of the players today?
A. Due to prestige, popularity and the money involved in the game, the playerswork hard to remain in the team... Which is why they have also become veryconscious of their fitness and performance. ...Sachin is very conscious of hisphysical fitness. He puts on weight quickly and also gets rid of it quickly. Hehas been seeing doctors in Australia and England for his back problem. There isso much tension in the game as all the time players want to play and perform attheir best.
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Rahul Dravid and Ajit Agarkar.. these two guys were very particular abouttheir fitness....also Venkatesh Prasad and Srinath.
O: But, like you were coach of the team...and regarded as a strictdisciplinarian.....didn't you ever try to object the use of drugs when you werethe coach....Or did you try to find out?
A: I did not have a very strong case. The use of steroids and cortisone forinjuries was common. But I had no idea what the players took in the dressingrooms.
O: There is one more thing..like with so much cricket being played today,will it have some bearing on the players?
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A: Yes. The more cricket the boys play, more burnouts will happen.....Theplayers are trying to be first all the time. For them, once the time goes itnever comes back. So, everyone wants to make the most out of their presence inthe team.... It is an unusual trend for the game.
As a result, the game is suffering.......we are not getting enough talent forthe team, while the other cricket-playing nations have a choice.... For example,there is no proper guidance for our under-19 players. They do not have anyrepresentation in the team and there is nobody to teach or guide them. So,whatever our talent it's all going waste....
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O: Do you see any remedies for this?
A: Well...it will take two years to get talented national and internationalplayers...the zonal academies are working towards this.
O: Do you think hat despite supplements like performance enhancing drugs,advanced sports medicine and modern equipment, today's players can match thecalibre of former stars....like Kapil Dev or even you.. your memorable inningsat the Sabina Park....
A: I doubt that....really I doubt that anybody can match Kapil Dev in hisdedication for the game.
Q. Then..how do you interpret the abuse of drugs in cricket?
A. At this rate, cricket can go the body-building way. The long-termafter-effects of the drugs could be disastrous both mentally and physically.....also one may suffer from depressions... (pauses) Could be that players areignorant.... If the doctor is giving it to them, who is responsible? If you arerecovering from injury and not playing, then it's a different case. But nothingshould be allowed that gives you artificial energy.
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O: So what are your views on the use of drugs? Like how do you see that itcan be curbed?
A: It's high time that we began having random checks for our players. The simpleway is to watch the sudden difference in physical strengths and performancelevels of cricketers and subject them to dope tests...... The experts can dothis and take the random tests.
O: But if you recall in 1998, the BCCI had objected that Indian playersshould not be subjected to dope tests for this might result in someembarrassment.
A: Right.. I was there with the team.
O: Who all were there in that team?
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A: Sachin.Nihil, Ajay, Saurav, Rahul...I think even Srinath.
O: Any of them tested for dope?
A: None from these.....Amay Khurasia...was chosen and he tested negative...
O: What do you think the BCCI can do to keep a check on drug abuse?
A: It should be done universally. .the ICC should do it. It should categorisedrugs that will not be allowed. That will make things simpler....Individualboards will have different procedures...so its better that ICC does it. Forexample, the Olympic code should be implemented. Like, unless injuries..the useof steroids and other drugs can be questioned.
O:What about the Board's role in checking the burnouts?
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A: A time will come when they will realise that they have to slow down. We donot have talent like South Africa, England or Australia. For playing cricket...the Board has to draw a line somewhere. Our playing levels are less than theEnglish, Australians, or for that matter even Pakistanis. Their approach..outlook towards life and eating habits are totally different.
Like in Indian culture....we are generally protected....but they have tofight it out.....the attitude makes a lot of difference.... Then there are otherthings.....For example, not many Indian cricketers can slide on the ground andalso we do not have good grounds to slide on.
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O: But some senior players hold the view that the Board actsautocratically, like excluding Nayan Mongia from the team. Many seniorcricketers say that injustice was done to him.
(A small discussion on the match fixing inquiry and how the CBIinvestigations gave a clean chit to Mongia follows.)
A. The Board should come out with a statement. Undoubtedly, Mongia is the bestwicketkeeper at the moment. It is beyond one's comprehension why he should notbe taken in the team. The board must substantiate its decision...... Don't keepthe players guessing on decisions you take about them. Such things only giverise to speculations......Give some reasons at least....this is no way....
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O: Yesterday, throughout the day I was trying to get in touch with NayanMongia, hoping perhaps he would talk on this subject....He is sort of avoiding...
A: Yes...you can do that....He comes everyday to the Moti Bagh Palace groundsfor practice....I see him there.....you can catch him there.
(Right through the interview, Gaekwad was forthright and direct. He was warmand hospitable and got me dropped back to the hotel after the interview wasover. After returning from Baroda, I called Gaekwad on June 18 at his residence(0265-433171) for a few clarifications and asked him if could specificallyname the drugs which the Indian cricketers were using. He repeated that he didnot know of any specific ones except steroids and cortisone which he had alreadymentioned as being commonly used.)
