KAPIL’S
   Date :03-Jul-2021
 
KAPIL’S_1  H x
  
 
ONE of the greatest qualities that helped in building the legend of Kapil Dev Nikhanj was his refusal to give up hard efforts in face of all odds. That made Kapil Dev toil relentlessly on the unresponsive Indian wickets best suited for spinners. The Haryana Hurricane never cited the odds as an excuse to refrain from putting in the hard yards. In wake of this legend, it was completely understandable when Kapil Dev expressed his lament on the manner in which today’s fast bowlers are cocooned in a comfort zone. In his heydays, Kapil Dev was a constant at one end for long spells running into ten to twelve overs. Taking that feat into consideration, the four-over spells reserved for today’s pacers certainly come as a big prick for the bowlers of Kapil’s ilk. Being wrapped in cotton-wool is a different thing but a fear seems to have gripped today’s captains over the fitness of their fast bowlers. The amount of cricket played today certainly has increased workload for every player. But using that as an excuse to keep pacers away from long spells is taking a big charm out of the game. History will present numerous examples how a pacer has found rhythm in a long spell. Ask Kapil Dev.