Former Indian World Cup winning captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, in his formal request to BCCI, has requested the apex institution for cricket in India to help and provide financial aid to 'ailing' Anshuman Gaekwad, as the former Indian cricketer is suffering from blood cancer. Not only Kapil Dev, several other cricketing legends and former cricketers such as Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Ravi Shastri and Kirti Azad have jumped in to financially help out their former teammate.
"It is a sad and very depressing. I am in pain because I have played alongside Anshu and can't bear to see him in this state. No one should suffer. I know the Board will take care of him. We are not compelling anyone. Any help for Anshu will have to come from your heart. He took blows on his face and chest when standing up to some of the ferocious fast bowlers. Now is the time for us to stand up for him. I am sure our cricket fans will not fail him. They should pray for his recovery," said Kapil Dev in an interview with Sportstar, as reported by NDTV.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a system. It is great to see this generation of players make good money. It is good to see the support staff members also being paid well. In our time, the Board did not have the money. Today, it has and should take care of the senior players from the past. But where do they send their contributions? If a Trust is formed, they can put their money there. But we don't have a system. There should be a Trust. I think BCCI can do that. They do look after the players, former and present. We are ready to contribute by donating our pension amount if the family allows us to," added the former Indian captain.
Anshuman Gaekwad's International Career At A Glance
The former two-time ICT (Indian Cricket Team) coach has had a decent career, as he managed to play 40 Test internationals and 15 One Day Internationals throughout his career. The right-handed batsman managed merely two centuries in Tests and could not open his account for the category in the ODI's. Gaekwad's career lasted 12 years, spanning from 1975 to 1987.