AUCKLAND, New Zealand: Mohammad Azharuddin is the best choice to lead India for the forthcoming tours to Sharjah and England this summer, ‘according to Indian team manager Bishen Singh Bedi
Emphasizing that Azharuddin had the qualities a cricket captain should have; Bedi called Azharuddin “a brilliant batsman and a fielder, who is an ‘automatic choice in the team.”
Azharuddin is calm, cool, understanding and friendly, he said, adding that “above all, he is a thinking type and ‘as he gains in experience, he will be able to be more positive.”
Bedi said that despite the Indians trailing 0-1 in the three test series against New Zealand, the gains from the tour were immense. Many of the ‘younger players have learnt a lot while ‘some others were learning fast.
Left arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju ‘according to Bedi, is a fine performer and useful member of the team, as he is also a fine batsman.
“We preferred Narinder Hirwant Toihum (Raju) in this crucial (third) test because New Zealanders were said to dread him,” said Bedi, adding: “but Hirwani is 50 under confident in himself, he does not flight the ball fearing that he would be hit and his analysis spoiled.”
Bedi said that spinner’s main weapon was their ability to buy wickets. “No spinner will succeed if he is afraid of being hit,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 9, 1990
