Cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar says the current national team has to be the best in the history of Indian cricket.
Gavaskar, who was delivering the M.L. Jaisimha memorial lecture at the Jaisimha Academy here on Monday, said many teams had quite a few match-winners in the team but this team stands out for winning so many matches.
“This is what my guru Jai would have loved to see — the evolution of Indian cricket team into world-beaters and to be there right at the top,” the former India opener said.
Gavaskar said Jaisimha would have liked to see the game becoming a level playing field than what it is today — tilted heavily in favour of the batsman.
Need for parity
There is a need for a little bit of parity. The distance to the boundaries should be increased given the kind of bats the current players use. I have seen the likes of Sir Viv, Clive Lloyd, Greenidge caught on the edge of the boundaries in Sharjah,” Gavaskar said.
The former India opener also felt that the bouncer rule — giving an extra run and an extra ball if the ball goes above the batsman’s head when he is in a standing position is too harsh for it takes away one of the weapons from the bowler,” he said.
Gavaskar also said that once a fielder dislodges the stumps with a direct hit in his attempt to run a batsman out, the ball should be declared ‘dead’ and no runs should be given even if the batsman is not out.
“Similarly, the leg-byes should be done away with since any runs should be scored off the bat and why should a bowler and his team be penalised,” he said.
Gavaskar also felt that the fielding teams should be penalised not in terms of fines, but by way of giving penalty runs which will affect the result of the match.
