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Nothing to feel bitter about, says Gaekwad

Indian cricket coach Anshuman Gaekwad today welcomed the appointment of Kapil Dev as his replacement and hoped the former India captain has better luck than he had during his tenure.

Gaekwad said: "There's nothing to feel bitter about as even cricketers of repute like Sandeep Patil and Madan Lal had to leave after their terms ended.

"I would like to finish off on a winning note on my trip to Nairobi."

Kapil Dev will take over from Gaekwad after the four-nation tournament, involving South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and India, in Nairobi from September 25 to October 3.

Gaekwad took over from Madan Lal more than year ago and his appointment coincided with the reappointment of Mohammad Azharuddin as captain. Both saw India lift the Dhaka Independence Cup, beating Pakistan in the high-scoring final.

Then came a purple patch in the form of a Test series win at home, when India beat Australia 2-1. But that was followed by a string of defeats abroad and at home. India lost the one-off Test series in Zimbabwe and were beaten by New Zealand abroad by a similar margin.

Early this year, after squaring the Test series against arch rival Pakistan 1-1, India went down to the same team badly in the Asian Test series and also one-day triangular contest involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Then came the biggest blow as India bowed out of the World Cup in the Super Six stage, failing to make the semi-finals.

Last month, the team was beaten in one-day tournaments in Sri Lanka and Singapore, though it had the consolation of beating the West Indies 2-1 in the Toronto one-day series a few days back.

Gaekwad was philosophical about his exit. ''The assignment could be a road of roses or bed of thorns and one needs luck,'' he said, referring to India's three- run defeat to Zimbabwe in the World Cup.

"It changed the whole scenario for the Indian team and imagine the world's best batsman Sachin Tendulkar missed it due to his father's death. That's what luck is all about," he said wryly.

He said Kapil could definitely play a key role in the team's physical fitness. "But anyone wearing my shoes will have a hard task ahead," he added.

Gaekwad concluded by saying he had no complaints about anything and anyone. "I made many friends and won lot of respect."

UNI