Battle of cricket giants

Press, 2 November 1981, Page 42

Battle of cricket giants

NZPA London lan Botham, his heroic status fully regained after England’s remarkable Ashes victory against Australia, will have to play at least second fiddle in the popularity stakes when England’s tour to India and Sri Lanka gets under way this week. Waiting for his arrival in the sub-continent is India’s own cricket superstar, Kapil Dev, and the individual performances of . these two promise to have a large bearing on the six-test series. Even the West Indies do not possess all-rounders of the calibre of these two young men. Botham proved in the (northern) summer with his sparkling centuries at Leeds and Manchester that he is back at his best and much of England’s hopes of success lie on his broad shoulders, while Kapil Dev has failed in

tests over the last two years. While their test records are equally remarkable their personalites are widely different. Botham is the swashbuckling pirate, fond of a pint and, a fat cigar and willing to take flamboyant risks to achieve his goal. Kapil Dev is a quiet, dedicated cricketer with a strenuous training schedule who neither drinks nor smokes and lists dancing as one of his main hobbies.

At 25, Botham from 41 tests has 1977 runs to his credit (average 32.40) and 202 wickets (average 21.20).

Kapil Dev, is three years younger but already a veteran of 32 tests with 1150 runs (average 26.74) and 125 wickets (average 25.16). The pair share the records for all-round test cricket. Botham reached the 1000 run-100 wicket double in 21 tests to Kapil Dev’s 25, but the Indian achieved that

milestone, as the youngest player in test history, only 23 days after his 21st birthday. Kapil Dev also has something to prove this winter — in 1979 Botham took him apart at Leeds on his way to 137. It would have been tragic for the millions of cricket lovers had the politicians decided to wreck this winter’s tour, if only because of the immense talents of these two cricketers. The English selections will be hoping the tour may solve one or two problems. A big question is whether England’s captain, Keith Fletcher, will prove a longterm replacement for Mike Brearley. While Fletcher can call upon the experience of 53 tests and two previous Indian tours, the selectors do not appear fully convinced. The retiring chairman, Alec Bedser, admitted in

London last week that the politically controversial selection of Geoff Cook was influenced by the selectors’ wish to see how he might shape up as a future England leader. More pressing, though, is the need to blood a young wicket-keeper. With Alan Knott unavailable to tour and the first choice, Bob Taylor, on the wrong side of 40, the performances of his tour understudy — Surrey’s 23-year-old jack Richards — will come under close scrutiny. Whatever happens, England can expect a warm welcome wherever they travel in Indian. Over the last few weeks the public there have made it clear to India’s Prime Mi nister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, and her government that they relish the thought of an England tour.