NEWS
SCHEDULES
COLUMNS
PREVIOUS TOURS
OTHER SPORTS
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Kapil at devastating best

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev launched a frontal attack on Manoj Prabhakar and challenged him to fight on a one-on-one basis rather than like a mouse from behind the bushes.

"When Kapil was playing cricket, not one of them had the guts to face me and challenge my ability to play cricket. Now that I am out of it, some mice think that they can challenge the lion.

"Maine maan ka dhudh piya hai and I would fight this battle to its logical conclusion," roared the cricket icon, accused of offering Manoj Prabhakar Rs 2.5 million to play under his ability in a Singer Cup match against Pakistan.

"If at all Kapil will offer any money to any one it would be to play better cricket and not the kind of cricket Manoj played during his time. Who is Manoj by the way? Has he played the kind of cricket I have played in last 20 years? Why alone is he levelling charges against me? Has any other boy ever said that I offered him money?

"I think there is a deep-rooted conspiracy going on against me. It is much bigger than I thought. But I am not going to keep quite. I will take the battle into Prabhakar's court and fight it there," he said indignantly.

Asked why would he offer money to Manoj to lose a match against Pakistan, Kapil had a go at Prabhakar's new found nationalism. "He thinks that he can demolish Kapil by levelling baseless charges. He is jealous of me, because what I have achieved he can never hope. What kind of cricket he played is known to everyone. Today, he claims that he is a better performer than Kapil Dev," he retorted.

So will you go before the CBI to clear your name?

"Your question makes me feel amused. Do I have to clear my name after having achieved so much? I would appear before any one. I would not take just one lie detector but hundreds if that satisfies you," he said.

Why, Ravi Shastri has confirmed that Manoj had told him about the offer you made?

"What about Gavaskar? He has said that he does not remember about the offer, or Prabhakar telling him anything about it. Prashant Vadiya has told me that he is not aware of any such incident. Sidhu told me: 'Paaji my name is being dragged unnecessarily.' What about these people? Let us not talk just of Ravi Shastri alone," he said angrily.

Why did you go to his election campaign?

"I went because he was phoning me up time and again and saying, 'Paaji, it would help if you came.' I told him that I would cut a cake and pose for some pictures. I did not walk a step with him. Ask him why did he call me if he was so upset with my offer," he asked.

Would you resign as the coach of the Indian team?

"And leave the country in the lurch. This is not the kind of cricket I have learnt from my coaches, and I would take up responsibilities with all the dedication and discipline," he said.

What would be the impact of match-fixing on the children who treat you as role model?

"The kids would like to have me as a role model. Tell me how many kids want Manoj as their role model. The man never had the guts to face me on the field. Off the field he is now making all sorts of allegations.

"Where is that video cassette where in Rashid Latif had said that Manoj Prabhakar is the biggest fixer? I would like to have this uncut cassette," he pleaded.

If he was not guilty then why did he cry on television?

"I am an emotional person. Then I did not know what had hit me. Now I am prepared to take on those who are conspiring against me. I would file legal suits against both Bindra and Prabhakar as soon as the courts open after the vacation," he said.

He refused to comment on the forthcoming tournament in Dhaka. "Let us forget that for the time being and talk about match-fixing. Nobody during my career had ever approached me with any kind of offer. Kapil has never been bought with money. Have I ever asked money for granting an interview? Ask people how much money has Manoj charged for giving interviews.

"This man is talking ethics; go and see what has he done in Haldwani where warrants are pending against him. He has fleeced the poor people of their hard-earned money. He is telling me what morality is. Ek dunga kanpati pe khinch kar. Chuha bill se nikal aaya hain sher se ladne (I'll give him one under the ears; the mouse has come out to take on the lion)," he said.

Do you remember if you went to his room on that particular evening?

"If I had to see someone I called him to my room. Maybe, you go to the rooms of your colleagues sometimes. Can you tell me what you ate three months ago?" he asked a newsman who had put the question to him.

"The fact is from day one Prabhakar did not like me. Because I did not find him my kind of man. I did not recommend him for a job either. I have never had tea with him in the last so many years. I had tea with Ajay, Sidhu and many others who I liked. Why is he bringing out his allegations now. I would like to ask him," he concluded.

The Betting Scandal: The full story