Mr Right In A Wrong Manner !

Mr BS Bedi As A Captain Was Right Or Wrong On The Two Crucial Occasions And
Decisions ?

Indian cricket has enriched with many big cricketers and Bishan Singh Bedi is one of them . Yeah he is considered as a big spinner of his time and also one of the best spinners of all time. And he is known as a bold captain of his era. Yeah he captained india though as a captain to have the figures isn’t impressive and big but for some bold decisions he registered his name in a different way. Yeah the first occasion was that when under his captaincy india was playing against the West Indies in West Indies . Yeah at that time the team West Indies was leading by a left handed great batsman mr Clive Lloyd . Yes that was 1976 and team West Indies was in depression as well as in frustration due to lose the Test series by 3 -1 as the guest against Australia in Australia where they had been wrapped and devastated by the terrific speedsters’ duo of Jeff Thompson and Denis Lillee. Indian team was the minnow at that time because there was only one batsman from india who had the International reputation yeah he was Sunil Gavaskar. Yeah though GR Vishwanath was also a good batsman from india after Sunny but Sunny was the batsman who created terror in the opposition due to his reliable and compact batting and his big statistics. And to have bowling attack indian bowling attack was depended only on the spinners’ trio- Spearhead BS Bedi himself with Bhagwad Chandrashekhar and Erapalli Prasanna . And one more jewel as the spinner india had as Venjatraghawan . And there was no pacer of big recognization as india are equipped in present as Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma ,
Mohammed Shami, Bhuvaneshvar Kumar , Umesh Yadav, etc. Yeah that was the famous venue of Sabina Park Stadium , Kingston. The team West Indies had Michael Holding and Daniel as the energetic ,powerful ,tall , aggressive, accurate fast bowlers whom mr C Lloyd used in the ferocious way and both the
danger men used their giant approach and bowled with tremendous , awesome speed,power and length using terrific beamers and bouncers intentionally and that caused trouble the indian frontier batting line up and five batsmen got injured due to that kind of lethal pace bowling . Yes they were mr dependable GR Vishvanath, Anshuman Gaikwad, Brijesh Patel,BS Bedi ,B Chandrashekhar.
Yes to see the intentional deed captain BS Bedi felt that as the unsporting spirit and in the reaction only to register the protest against it he declared indian innings while india was in a good condition. Though mr Bedi complained about it to the field umpires but they didn’t take it seriously because at that time it was under the ICC rule and there was no illegitimate deed to bowl bouncers and beamers. Though that was a strange method to reveal the objection of opposition’s unfriendly and unsportsmen spirit action but due to that india suffered a huge loss against the West Indies .
What I do discuss here is Was Bedi right or wrong at that time to take the critical decision. Yeah was that action legal according to cricket book. Was there any moral values and duties the cricket book advocated at that time . Alas no and nay because before it the world cricket had seen the famous in the infamous form the Body line Test Series in the year 1932 between Australia and England. Cricket is a one kind of war and everything is fair and lovely in love and war. Yeah cricket is called the game if gentlemen’s game so you can expect the gentleness . Yeah in the ancient most in the Mahabharat Grand Battle the religion was followed in the war yes to have the time and matchable fight or can’t allow attack by a warrior over weaponless warrior. But there is a big and brutal example in this regard that a teenager Abhimanyu was killed by dozon of great warrior including like Karn and Duryodhan . So there is no any religious law in the war concerned . Yeah the son has fought against his father . Yes brother has fought against brought and that’s it because it’s the war. So the game is like a war and the match means fight or encounter though it’s a bloodless war and the aim is to give entertainment and thrilling . So no player or captain hope to get mercy of opposition and ready to face all oddies and obstacles under the rule . And at that time BS was wrong because he had no answer except skip. Under BS Bedi’s captaincy one another big incident happened due to Bedi’s captaincy and the result . Yes in the year 1978 against Pakistan in an ODI at Sahiwal india needed 23 runs in 18 balls while india had 8 wickets in hand but alas at that point BS Bedi got annoyance to have the reason and decided to quit the match. The reason was not bigger but Bedi took that seriously and got angry and called his batters to pavilion quiting the match . Pakistan was declared the winner due to that. Yes Pakistan’s fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz who bowled four bumbers in a row but the umpires didn’t declare them no or wide ball according to the rule the then. The umpires were bias the then to the guest because they were from Pakistan and the then there was no neutral umpiring law came in the game . Umpires didn’t stop or warn Sarfaraz Nawaz to say it’s not fair because they were from the same nation and didn’t want to displease their home fans . But at that time Bedi needed to be prudent and patient and informed his batsmen to chase the ball by standing wide and to be go to and fro any how to contact the ball and send the ball across the boundary. And collect run any how God will help us ,be determined and confident. Because for getting 23 run still 14 balls were india had and need only four or five scoring shots. But alas BS Bedi as the captain chose different path . And for these two decisions Bedi got fame or infamy or disgrace is a question . When GR Vishvanath missed 4 balls which was booked bumpers intentionally by Sarfaraz then still 14 balls were in the hand of india. And as the captain Bedi needed to know Vishvanath was not a aggressive batsman and couldn’t hit the ball as per his will or against the nature of the ball. So Mr Bedi had to call back Vishvanath when he missed two deliveries and Bedi had to send Kapil Dev,Mohinder Amarnath , Yashpal Sharma ,Karsen Gavri who were well in physical structure and were able to hit the ball by chase or as per their will or against the line and length of the ball. But alas Bedi preferred to surrender . Alas he didn’t believe on the potential of his rest of batsmen who were capable to turned the match despite negative bowling of Sarfaraz , Pakistan. But okay as a good cricketer he did fair but he forgot it’s cricket and by hook or crook fans and players like victory of their team. Quitting or conceding isn’t a way to react . The enemy should always be answered only in his language. Bedi had to know it was Pakistan and for the win it could go at any limit ,any mean so Bedi had to reply in foe’s language but by being sporty and enormity . Yeah ultimately I salute and respect mr BS Bedi as the great left arm leg spinner. Indeed he was a spin wizard of his time and had very high reputation as the leggie. When we read or hear the statement of one of the greatest spin wizards and in the critics view the greatest ever Jim Laker who praised mr BS Bedi by these golden reaction when a pal of mr Jim Laker asked him a question,” Dear Jim If you have been to imagine the moments heavenly pleasure then what kind of utopian or hedonism scene you iwoukd imagine . Yeah hearing that mr Jim answers that there would the Test Match be in the action in the sunny day at the Lord’s Cricket Ground and mr Ray Lindwal the speedster tycoon would be bowed with full velocity at one End and at the second End mr BS Bedi would be in his rhythmic poetic bowling deliverance action,wow there could be no better science rather than it . Yes it’s the best scene like a heavenly pleasure . Yes this statement is enough to say the height of mr Bedi as the spinner . It’s indeed a proud for india and its cricket fans . Mr Bedi’s above decisions were the direct message to the cricket fraternity and the ICC that the game is above all and for its welfare some sacrifice on loss cost is really a great win. Why because game’s aim is not win but to spread brotherhood and human harmony . And the players are the ambassadors from their nation to increase and
establish love and affection . So mr Bedi was right in his decision who chose a fair way and for it he should be praised .
*NK Sevak
” Sanatan”