July 5, 1999
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ON THE BALL Time for Change Azharuddin has had a good run as captain. Now India has to find a successor who is more forceful. By Kapil Dev
The match began well enough. Saeed Anwar got going and played some good shots. But then the strength of Australia shone through. Their fielding was spectacular and I would rate the catch that Ricky Pointing took to end the Pakistani innings the best of the tournament. I think Pakistan took the field a dejected side. A score of 132 is nothing to defend. I know that we scored only 183 in 1983 but it was close to 200. Even a county side can make 132 these days. I'm quite certain this match will go down as the worst final in any sport. My last hour of the match was spent meeting old friends and reacquainting myself with Lord's. I last played here in the '80s and the place has changed a lot. The stadium has received a face-lift and looks phenomenal. The stands have been built up on both sides. The press box must be the most modern in the world. You are suspended in air with this glorious panoramic view of the whole ground. The pavilion, stands and hospitality were excellent. My hats off to the committee. Since I'm on BCCI's grounds committee I made a special effort to inspect the grounds in England. One must take a leaf out of their book. Each stadium caters not only to the needs of the players but are also spectator-friendly. Restaurants, bars, toilets, there's everything for the spectators. I must also say the spectators follow the rules. We in India tend to misuse the facilities. In England the number of people at the ground are always within the prescribed limit. In India gate-crashers often hold sway. We must control the swarms of friends and relatives who enter stadiums ticketless. Only then can we raise our standards. Change is the demand of the new millennium. I am surprised at the way cricket is changing. I retired just four years ago but could be a generation away. The home of cricket has changed, the spectators have changed. Yet, we don't seem to. Soon after the Lord's final, an old and "propah" Englishman told the BBC that he was a member of the MCC but not a "stuffy" one because one had to move with the times. So if the world is moving with the times should not we be doing that as well? In the '60s when someone did something brilliant on the field everyone clapped from afar. In the '70s Bishan Bedi changed that and showed his joy by jumping and running towards the fielders. In the '80s everyone rallied together patting each other on the back. In the '90s players are like footballers, not concealing their joy and desire to win. I have been a Gandhian all my life. My sports idol has been Bjorn Borg who was always composed. But today winning is all important. Mohammed Azharuddin is unparalleled as a batsman and has had a good run as captain of India. But if feel the time has come to find a captain who can show aggression and hold the team together better. I say this not because we have lost the World Cup but because I genuinely feel that Azhar has lasted his time. We have to change our outlook as today winning has become the name of the game. Our team needs a Hitler to pull it through. Unlike our politicians our cricketers have adopted a peaceful policy. Today we need aggression, power and strength. I sometimes wonder what I would do if I was captain now. Would I have been able to change my attitude? For survival I would have had to. We need someone very strong and apparent at the helm. There is no place for subtlety any longer. We need someone who can ensure closeness and push the team when the need arises. I personally feel Sachin Tendulkar is the ideal person for the job because he is mature and strong. But he seems to be like Richard Hadlee who just wanted to play and never wanted to captain his country. Ajay Jadeja is the other candidate with strong credentials. His captaincy in Sharjah was not brilliant but good enough to pull the team together. That's what the team requires now. Jadeja showed in Sharjah what he's capable of. Why then aren't we doing anything? The policy today is to destroy your opponents physically and mentally. Go for the kill, as they say. That is what Australia did to Pakistan. Whenever Pakistan play Australia again they will be reminded of Lord's 1999. They have been badly scalded. So, in keeping with the changed attitude, let us also go in for an aggressive captain. Someone who can demand and get what he wants until Indian cricket is back on the rails. Charity definitely takes a back seat. Former India captain and allrounder Kapil Dev will be
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After all the
hype that was built up over the World Cup, the end was a damper. Australia clinically
killed Pakistan in the final. Almost everybody was disappointed with the way the
tournament ended. I especially felt sorry for the Pakistani supporters. So many of them
had flown in for the match and had paid huge amounts for the tickets. 
