Former India captain Kapil Dev has urged the BCCI to provide financial assistance to his former teammate and member of the 1984 World Cup winning team, Anshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer in London. Kapil said the Indian cricket board did not have much money in his day and with the recent success the BCCI has enjoyed, it should find a way to help its former players.
In an interaction with Sportstar, Kapil Dev said, “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.”
Kapil went on to say that there is no system for helping former cricketers and given that BCCI has a lot of money at its disposal now, it should take measures to help the former cricketers. The former Indian captain said he was also willing to contribute his pension if the the family allows him to.
"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… We are ready to contribute by donating our pension amount if the family allows us to." Kapil Dev added
