I am what I am because of cricket – Sunil Gavaskar on his 75th birthday

As we celebrate the 75th birthday of the Little Master, Sunil Gavaskar, cricket has come a long way from his heyday with the bat to his lively commentary on the microphone. Gavaskar has always been hailed for his impeccable batting laced with an undaunted attitude.

In the era of batting without helmets against the towering fast bowlers of world cricket, Gavaskar led the charge in exemplary fashion. In an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times cricket, Gavaskar shed light on a lot of factors that define modern day cricket.

Talking about the best birthday gift, Sunny G said, “Oh, I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift than what Rohit Sharma and his boys gave me. I am still on a high. People ask me if I am over the moon. No, I am still in orbit. The consistency they showed even in the ODI World Cup and now again. Any team that plays that well has to be the best. And it’s India’s team. My team, your team.”

Shedding a bit of light on cricket of yore, he further added, “It wasn’t easy because you were given pitches which were so much in favour of fast bowlers. Therefore, today when they complain about spin-friendly pitches, it makes me laugh. People quickly forget. Now we have quick bowlers, so such pitches aren’t prepared.”

Gavaskar continued, “Even then, once Kapil came along, they were forced to think. But when you were playing for India, you wouldn’t want to take a backward step in a confrontation. We wouldn’t initiate but we gave it back. We were a post-independent generation and there was no awe of the British or the Australians. There was admiration when they played well.”

He also had a fine response when asked about what cricket meant to him. Gavaskar said, “I am what I am because of cricket. I still love watching others play and to be able to talk about the game is a blessing. The moment I find it tedious to watch, I will stop. But for now, I still look forward to new magic from a Jasprit Bumrah or a batter, every time I go to a stadium.”