First up, Sunil Gavaskar’s column – titled ‘Will the current Team India coach follow the Rahul Dravid model?’ – on The Hindu/SPORTSTAR was a nice read. Gavaskar is one of the few former cricketers whose columns are not ghosted. He writes his own articles and they are never boring.
In this column, the legendary former India captain took the readers back to the Lord’s dressing room after India’s World Cup triumph in 1983. Borrowing a crate of champagne from the West Indies changing room, where their captain Clive Lloyd “morosely but generously” agreed to the request from Kapil Dev and Madan Lal made for a nice anecdote. As also the story about Lata Mangeshkar coming forward and doing a concert for the triumphant Indian team, with the World Cup heroes getting Rs 1 lakh each from the proceeds. A cash-strapped BCCI under its then president NKP Salve couldn’t afford more than Rs 25,000 as cash award for each member of the side and the great singer spared the cricket board’s blushes.
The BCCI is now supremely cash-rich and after India won the Champions Trophy, it announced Rs 58 crores for the squad, the support staff and the selectors. Last year, after India had won the T20 World Cup, the cricket board announced Rs 125 crores to reward the performance. Gavaskar praised it. “This is truly fantastic, as the Board, which is now awash with funds, is showing its appreciation for the efforts put in by everybody and rewarding them generously,” he wrote. “The BCCI is also letting the players keep the prize money that the ICC announced for the winners, which is also a good amount each.”
Then, Gavaskar drew the Rahul Dravid analogy. After the T20 World Cup success, the then India coach refused to take the additional Rs 2.5 crores that the BCCI was awarding him, on a par with the members of the playing squad. He took the same bonus money as the rest of his coaching staff – batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T Dilip.
Dravid’s gesture wasn’t a case in isolation. He did that after guiding the India U-19 team to the World Cup win in 2018 as well, declining to accept Rs 50 lakh and asking the BCCI to award everyone equally – Rs 20 lakhs for each support staff.
Subject to interpretation, there was a thinly-veiled dig, as Gavaskar signed off. “It’s been a fortnight since the BCCI announced the Champions Trophy rewards, but we haven’t heard anything from the current coach on whether he will also do a Dravid,” he penned. “Or is it that Dravid, in this instance, is not a good role model?”
Controversy-mongers have lapped this up, especially on social media. Taking sides is a common pastime in the Indian cricket fandom and this seemingly has served the keyboard warriors’ purpose. Gambhir, currently holidaying with his family, might not like this distraction.
On a serious note, any interpretation of Gambhir being money-minded would be a distortion of the truth. This gentleman had decided to forgo his entire Rs 2.8 crore salary while taking responsibility for Delhi Daredevils’ disastrous IPL season in 2018. He relinquished captaincy as well. His Foundation fed the needy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dravid’s gesture was great, but it’s not necessary that other head coaches should follow him.
Things need to be put in perspective. What Gavaskar has written is his opinion and he is entitled to it. At the same time, Gambhir can stand by his decision.
Gavaskar is a national treasure. Gambhir has been a fantastic servant of Indian cricket, as a player and now as India’s head coach. Pitting the two against each other is uncalled for.