Though stopped following cricket since the 1990s, I was an avid follower of the game prior to that and our only source to information was running commentry on the all India Radio and the detailed analysis or news in newspapers and magazines.
Bishan Singh Bedi was the product of that age when cricket was getting noticed and being popularised, but by the time we grew to understand cricket, Bedi's career was sliding down but stories about his greatness, as a bowler and as a captain were talk in the circles of those who loved cricket.
Bedi was part of the 'spin chaukari', the famed quarted which included Chandrashekhar, Prasanna and Venkat Raghwan, all considered to be the best spinners in the world that time. Ofcourse, after the advent of Kapil Dev, India was never the same again and completely change the scenario of the game.
But Bishan Singh Bedi was much beyond a good sportsman. He was a man of courage and conviction, a quality you won't find among the celebrity players busy with massaging the egoes of the biggies in the Board of Cricket in India, most of who, never ever played the game of cricket or even any respect for it. Most of the non-cricketers now part of the money minting BCCI is purely to control the huge coffers and influence the polity due to popularity of the game.
Bedi spoke from his heart. He was an intellectual and a man who could take any one head on without ever considering the repercussion of it on him. He exposed John Lever for using Vaseline to keep the shining of the ball which resulted him expulsion from Northamptonshire, a side which he was the Captain. Bedi spoke against the BCCI and he was removed. He spoke against naming the Feroj Shah Kotla Stadium to Arun Jaitley Stadium though none of the other celebrity players had the courage to say so. It was shame.
India is the only country where stadiums have been named after politicians but not a big stadiums dedicated to any big sports persons of the country. If BCCI wanted to change the name of Feroj Shah Kotla, the real deserving man was Bishan Singh Bedi and not a certain Arun Jaitley.
The business dealers of BCCI were always uncomfortable with Bishan Bedi but he remained committed to his idealism. No body could ever challenge his patriotism. A man who laughed a lot and made other laugh Bishan Bedi was truly a legend. We have lost a sporting icon who spoke for the rights of the sports persons when they did not have the luxury, when players were not auctioned.
Bishan Bedi's records of the game will never do justice to his enormous contribution to the game.
My condolences to one of the greatest spinners of the game of cricket.
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*Human rights defender
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