Balwinder Singh Sandhu is one of the heroes of the World Cup 83 won by India which was a historic moment for the nation and motivated in a renaissance for Indian cricket. SANDEEP HATTANGADI got into a chat mode with the genial Sardar and went back into time when he reminisced about the good days of 83.
Hindi feature film is being made on the historic World Cup win of 83. What are your thoughts?
It’s a great moment for us and the team of 83 especially since such a film has not been made in India and since I was a part of the team of 83, I am duly honored to be immortalized in such a way on the big screen. I thank the makers of such a film because cricket lovers who missed the 83 win and who were born after 1983 could understand the importance of the win and the old timers can savor the historic moment on the screen.
Did you on the tour ever think that you could win the World Cup Finals at Lords in 1983?
We were playing well and also very sure that we could at least reach the semi finals as we had beaten the West Indies in West Indies in a series before the World Cup and in the round robin games and practice matches too, we had done well and even beaten the World Cup Winners West Indies in a game, but reaching the final was a thought that never crossed our mind and when we reached the final, it was indeed a shocking moment for us, but we were happy but then we wanted to win the final too.
Your wicket of the great West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge is still remembered today? Did you think you could get him out with an in-swinger?
I had been bowling out-swingers to other batsmen but Gordon was not reading my in-swinger as I had got him out in Trinidad in a Test Match with an in-swinger and in the other matches too I had troubled him and I was confident that I could get him out with an in-swinger and that’s why when I bowled an in-swinger , he couldn’t read it and shouldered arms and was clean bowled, a historic moment for me and in the annals of Indian cricket.
How did you start as a pace bowler?
Initially I was an off spinner and in University Cricket Team I was an off-spinner along with Ravi Shastri, but destiny made me a pace bowler as during one match one of the pace bowlers couldn’t make it to the match and I was endowed with the responsibility of being the pace bowler and my performance was appreciated a great deal and I then thought of becoming a pace and swing bowler.
Did you have any role models or inspirations or bowlers you looked up-to?
Yes. My inspiration was Kapil Dev Nikhanj who was a classic pace and swing bowler and an all rounder and learnt a lot from him.
What do you think of the present Indian pace attack?
I find Umesh Yadav an exciting prospect, he has the ability to bowl fast at longer periods in Test Matches and take wickets too, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar too has improved so much as a swing bowler with a great economy rate, Mohammed Shami has raw pace and Jaspreet Bumrah is good for ODI and T20 matches in the death overs and he has a knack of taking wickets too. All this has happened because of the efforts of the National Cricket Academy with its facilities for coaching and physiotherapists and support staff to look after your fitness.
What do you think of the present Mumbai team?
We are doing a good job considering that many players are doing their national duty like Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakkar. We will certainly reach our former glory.
Tell us something about your Coaching Academy.
I have an academy at Bhakti Park for bowlers but there are some problems surrounding the academy but I am sure that things will be turned out for the better but some of my staff is still teaching the wards , the art of cricket and once my academy starts , I am sure it will produce international cricketers.
On that good ‘ball’ Sandhu dismisses us from his presence and we conclude the interview!
