Gavaskar's super innings at CCI

A Lesser man would have avoided speaking about the dangers of the Indian Premier League considering he sits on the governing council of Indian cricket's latest extravaganza. But that's what makes Sunil Gavaskar different.

The little man, now on the verge of turning 60, played a classic innings at the CCI yesterday when he delivered the inaugural Dilip Sardesai Memorial Cricket Lecture.



That Gavaskar is concerned that the IPL could become the 'end all' to a lot of cricketers instead of an India cap is something Indian cricket chieftains should worry about.

The lecture was entertaining as much as it was educative so fitting for a man who only recently received yet another doctorate from an institution. We all know how luck is a vital ingredient in a career. Gavaskar emphasised the point with some stirring examples. Sardesai would never have an opportunity in the first game of the 1970-71 tour of the West Indies, a series made famous by the late cricketer and Gavaskar with his 774 runs on his first international sojourn. Sardesai latched on to his chance caused by the injury to Gundappa Vishwanath and made 97 before scoring a double century in the first Test. On his Test debut in Trinidad, Gavaskar was dropped by Garfield Sobers before going on to score 65 to retain his place in the side. He drove home the point that the luck aspect in cricket should never be underestimated. "But it's not all about luck.

There is also a lot of hard work involved,"u00a0u00a0 stressed Gavaskar. "Someone among the audience bemoaned the absence of the present-day players for the lecture. He was right. The BCCI will do no harm to Indian cricket if they get Gavaskar to talk to all the young IPL participants. ASAP.