Exclusive: Having a World Cup is a great achievement by UAE, says Kapil Dev

Dubai - Kapil Dev is brimming with excitement ahead of Sunday's India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup

The fire still burns bright for the Haryana Hurricane. Twenty seven years after he decided to hang up his boots, Kapil Dev, India’s greatest fast bowler, still shows the same passion for cricket with which he once brought life to dead Indian pitches.

Like millions of fans around the world, the legendary Indian all-rounder is now brimming with excitement ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering T20 clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain was all smiles after playing a round of golf as he sat on the couch at the residence of Ajay Sethi, Chairman of Channel 2 Group, in the Emirates Hills, Dubai.

The 62-year-old Kapil then started a freewheeling chat with Khaleej Times as he opened up on the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, UAE’s rise as a world-class sporting destination and Virat Kohli’s two-year wait for an international century.

Q. Sharjah famously brought international cricket to the desert in the 1980s. And now UAE is hosting the cricket World Cup. As a former international cricketer who had played in Sharjah, how does it feel to see the progress this country has made since the time you first came here?

I think over the years it’s really improved. In 1980s, when we used to come there was hardly anything. It was the interest of few people who made it possible to have few matches. But today, having a World Cup, it’s a great achievement by UAE. It’s not by one or two people, it’s the effort taken by everybody to reach this level and have a World Cup.

Q. It’s only fitting that UAE is getting a chance to host the World Cup. After all, it was Sharjah that saw some all-time classics. You were also a part of some of the most memorable battles in Sharjah. Like the one when India won by 38 runs (1985) despite being bowled out by Pakistan for 125 and the Javed Miandad’s last-ball six match in 1986...

Well I think both the matches were wonderful. We thought, you know, we won almost, but then Javed Miandad came out and played one of the finest innings and the trend started on the last-ball six as he went for his six. And the other one is what you said, India all out for 125 and Pakistan were all out for less than 100 runs. I think these are the matches that you can always cherish. It’s not about who won, or who lost. I think end of the day, you can say cricket won, because, you know, nobody could have given one per cent chance that India would won, neither at that time when we lost to Pakistan. I don’t think anybody felt Pakistan could achieve that in the last five overs. But that’s what happened in the game. So from there to have the World Cup in UAE, hats off to them (UAE). Hats off to ICC also because they are having so much confidence in the local authorities to have a tournament. You know, this country has grown so much from what I remember in 1981 and 1982 and now, I think it (Dubai) looks bigger than any city in the world.

Q. Tickets for Sunday’s match were sold out immediately after they had gone on sale. The hype over the game has been unbelievable. But it can also put the players under intense pressure...

Well, it’s not pressure, you know, it’s so much pleasure you’re giving to the people around the world. And I think sports is fun. And people are coming from America or South America or Europe or Australia, New Zealand, wherever, Indians or Pakistanis live, for this match to see India play Pakistan. I mean why not? You love your country, you love your team and you want to support (the team). And hats off to the people who are coming from America or whichever part of the world. I hope they get the tickets, so many people are not getting the ticket. They have planned so much to come and see the match, because for almost two years, people haven’t travelled, India have hardly played against Pakistan. And this time in the World Cup, they are given an opportunity to play in the first match. Let’s hope, we can have a great game. That’s more important. Yeah, I have emotions towards India but I think the game should be good, that’s more important.

Q. The India-Pakistan game reminds us that your international debut came against Pakistan in October 1978. And you celebrated the anniversary recently in Dubai by cutting a cake with Pakistan legend Zaheer Abbas, your great friend off the field...

We played against each other for so many years. And I think today, the cricketers I don’t know how they spend time, but when we used to play in the 80s or 90s, if we were in Pakistan, we used to go to all the cricketers’ houses. Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, whoever invited us, we used to go. Same way, when they came to India, they used to come to our house. On the field, there was no friendship as such. Nobody wanted to lose, but once the game was over, we were like simple people basically. And we had a wonderful time. And so meeting Zaheer Abbas (in Dubai) was so good. You know, the way he used to play, his timing, it was unbelievable. He was one of the finest cricketers in our time who made cricket look so easy. I was a fan of Zaheer Abbas off the field, not on the field. On the field I wanted to get him out every time. And it’s good to meet him here, enjoy the moment and remember, the good old days.

Q. As you said, Zaheer Abbas was indeed one of the finest players in that era. Now the finest player in this era, Virat Kohli, is going through a bit of a tough time with the bat. He hasn’t scored a century for two years now...

But he’s still having more than 50 average in all three forms of cricket. I don’t think you can say he is a failure. Yes he hasn’t made a century, when a big player doesn’t make a century for two years, you start feeling a little uneasy. But one can say how much happiness he’s given around the world to people who love the game. And he’s done so well for himself and for the country. I think big players always come back. Going through a rough time is okay, but a big player is a big player. And Virat Kohli is a very big player.

Q. But Kohli will be under big pressure at this World Cup in UAE to end his stint at T20 captain with a trophy...

I think every player would like to have that (trophy). But end of the day he can do his best and after that if he fails to win any trophy, it doesn’t matter. He played cricket at a level nobody could have ever imagined. After Sachin Tendulkar we never thought somebody could come out and play cricket at that level, within five years’ time. We got a man called Virat Kohli, who started breaking all the records of Sachin Tendulkar which nobody could have imagined. Yes, he would like to have a trophy as captain, but if it’s not the case, I think it’s okay. He has still given so much to cricket.

Q. Who are the big favourites for the T20 World Cup title in UAE?

It’s very difficult to say who is favourite in the short form of cricket. Anybody can beat anybody, the last team might also beat the champions, so it’s very unpredictable in T20s. You really can’t say this team will win. Yes, some team have a better combination. As everybody’s saying, England is a better team, Australia can always bounce back. India, I would say, yes, they are good team, but the next 10-12 days, how they play as a team is very important. It’s very important to come into the top four (semifinals). If India are in top four, they have more chances than other teams.

Q. MS Dhoni is back in the Indian team, as a mentor. Do you think he can play an important role from the dressing room?

I can’t really say anything. I hope it turns out to be good, but I don’t want to see too many people trying to guide the team. Cricketers are smart enough, they can handle themselves. If Dhoni can add to the team, it’s wonderful. But I hope too many people should not be there telling what to do, how to do. As long as Ravi Shastri, Dhoni or any other individual keep one thing in their mind which is that the country is before them, there should be no problem.

Q. Finally, we have to ask you this. You carried the Indian bowling attack on your shoulders for 15 years, without proper support from the other end as India did not have another world-class fast bowler back then. Now how does it feel when you see so many high-quality pace bowlers fighting for places in the playing XI?

I feel very happy. Never ever thought in our time, somebody would say taking 100 wickets by a fast bowler was a great thing. Now, today you have a five to seven cricketers who can say any given time within three years they can pick up 100 wickets as fast bowlers. The infrastructure has improved. Opportunities to these players are much more. I think there’s also respect in the society, among the cricketers, for fast bowlers. You get more rewards now. When you get respect, love and financially also these fast bowlers get rewards. As a cricketer who played for India. I feel very happy to see all these fast bowlers coming. A batsman can make a match, but bowlers win Test matches. A batsman can get as many runs as possible, but you can’t win a Test match until and unless the bowlers come out and start taking 20 wickets.