India should not take Bangladesh lightly: Chandu Borde
Apr 11, 2007 - 10:25:47 AM
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'The team that went - was an excellent one. But unfortunately they didn't perform well.'
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By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS,
[RxPG] Mumbai, April 11 - India should not take Bangladesh lightly when they tour the country for a Test and one-day international series next month, former national cricket captain Chandu Borde has warned.
'They have beaten us twice. I don't underestimate any side that plays in the World Cup,' Borde told IANS in an interview.
The 72-year-old former middle order batsman was referring to Bangladesh's surprise win over India in a group match that eventually caused the side's first-round exit from the World Cup in the West Indies.
'I am of the view that you should never take your opponents lightly. On paper, our side looks much, much better. We have very good players, who have got fantastic records. We should do well against them,' said the man who played 55 Tests in the 1950s and 1960s.
Borde welcomed former India captain Ravi Shastri as the cricket manager - the new nomenclature for coach - for the Bangladesh tour.
'He is well respected by senior cricketers. It is a good move because he is a person who enjoys respect from players. A manager who enjoys respect from the players is good for the team,' he said.
On Rahul Dravid being retained as captain for Bangladesh as well as the tours of England and Scotland starting July, he said: 'He - is a knowledgeable and dedicated person, and knows the game quite well.'
Borde gave some suggestions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India - when he was, along with six other former India captains, invited by it to discuss the World Cup debacle last week in Mumbai.
One of his suggestions was that the board should form a committee of former captains. After its working committee meeting, the BCCI announced the formation of a seven-member committee comprising former skippers.
Board president Sharad Pawar will head this committee that will also include all the other BCCI office bearers.
'I suggested that we should meet the board officials once in three months to review the situation in the Indian cricket, to see whether it is progressing in the right direction or not,' he said.
On the World Cup disaster, Borde said that it were the players who failed and defended captain Dravid and coach Greg Chappell.
'The captain and the manager did their job; it is the team that didn't perform well. So you can't blame the captain or the manager,' he said.
'The team that went - was an excellent one. But unfortunately they didn't perform well.'
India beat Bermuda, but crucially lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to crash out in the first round.
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