Kapil learnt his lesson early
in life: Coach Azad

A boy who was pulled up by his coach for coming late for practice learnt his lesson quite early. After that, he cared little about his food or diet and just went ahead to realise his dream of playing for his country.

Kapil Dev Nikhanj, the boy of 1969, is now a middle-aged man and India's cricketer of the century.

"I was 100 per cent sure he will be chosen as Indian cricketer of the century," said his coach Desh Prem Azad.

Azad recounted how he once stopped Kapil from practicing at the Sector 16 Cricket stadium in Chandigarh.

"This is way back in 1969. For some days he started coming late to the stadium for his practice and I told him not to come for a week. He took this incident very seriously and completely tranformed himself after that," he said.

Azad said he had seen all the nominations for 'Wisden's Cricketer of the Century' and "I was confident Kapil would make it. He is the only cricketer who has to his credit the record of scoring runs, getting wickets on turfs which are hardly conducive for a bowler like him... and his fielding which was second to none."

Asked what qualities of Kapil would he like budding cricketers to imbibe, Azad replied: "It was Kapil's determination, single-mindedness, devotion, sincerity towards cricket and the habit of never giving it up till it was virtually over-- if today's cricketers follow these I am sure they will do themselves and their country proud."

Meanwhile, the news of Kapil's winning the prestigious award was yet to sink in for his family. Says his brother, Ramesh Nikhanj: "I was 90 per cent sure that it will be Kapil. I knew the competition was tough, which is why I was not cent per cent sure. The whole family is feeling very happy.

"Kapil talked to me in the morning from London and I had no words to congratulate him... it is yet to sink in," he said.

"We were all glued to the television right from last evening till the news was finally confirmed in the early morning. We switched news channels nervously to see which one would break the news first. Finally, the news came as a big relief and I can't tell you the joy it gave us," he said.

Kapil's mother, Raj Nikhanj, too, expected her son to win the award.

"I knew about his qualities right from his childhood. I was confident that he will do us all very proud. The sport for which he never cared about his food or diet during the period of his struggle and pursued it single-mindedly... the award is only a recognition of his sweat, toil and blessings of all his countrymen and people of this region, who all love him so immensely," she said.

"I still remember the days he went for his practice at the cricket stadium here and sometimes went with his friends to Patiala on a scooter. He was a hero among his group and was admired for his qualities and I am very happy today; the whole country and around the world he is recognised and has been bestowed with another great honour."

Ravinder Chadha, who was physio of the Indian cricket team for two years and under whose Haryana Ranji team's captaincy, Kapil played for five years, described the 'Haryana hurricane' as a "rare breed of cricketers with tough mental aptitude".

"I gave captainship in his (Kapil's) favour when he got a chance to lead the Haryana Ranji team... that helped him making his entry into the national squad," he said, adding, Kapil never missed any match due to fitness.

Mail Cricket Editor