Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev on Monday (January 12) stated that it is needless to compare two different generations of players and pass a verdict on who was superior.
Kapil bowled almost 300 overs during the 1991-92 tour of Australia, where he also became the first Indian to claim 400 wickets in Test cricket.
During the recently held tour Down Under, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl in the second innings of the fifth Test at SCG due to back spasms. Bumrah bowled more than 150 overs and finished the five-Test series as the leading wicket-taker with 32 scalps to his name.
“Please don’t compare. You cannot compare one generation with another. That is not required. Today, players are scoring 300 runs in a day. It didn’t happen during our time. So don’t compare the two (generations)," said Kapil during an event hosted by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
The 66-year-old also declined to comment on whether the BCCI selectors were right in excluding Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant from the T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against England.
According to Kapil, one should not question the judgement of the selectors as they would have arrived at the decision to not play Jaiswal and Pant after giving it a thought.
“How can I comment on the judgement of others? I think the selectors would have though about it."
“So, if I say something it would be criticising them. I don’t want to criticise them. They (selectors) are a group of people who must have planned and thought about that."
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s subpar performances on the tour of Australia drew considerable criticism, sparking speculation about their potential retirement from Test cricket.
When asked if it’s time for the batting stalwarts to call it quits, Kapil Dev said the decision should be left to them.
“They are very big players. Let’s hope when they think it’s the right time to play, when they think it’s not, they will call it off," said Kapil.
With Bumrah taking over the captaincy from Rohit in the Sydney Test and talks on whether he should be given a long rope to prove himself as a leader, Kapil said, “If he has been given the opportunity (to lead the side), then give him some time also."
(With PTI Inputs)
