Times News Network

New Delhi, Jun 18: Cricketing circles were in a tizzy on Sunday following former Indian skipper and spin great Bishan Singh Bedi's scathing attack on another former captain and batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar in the Outlook weekly news magazine. Bedi told the magazine that Gavaskar was a "destructive influence on Indian cricket", adding "he always liked power without accountability".

The comments come in the wake of Gavaskar, a prominent member of the Indian cricket board's (BCCI) coach selection panel, lambasting leading candidate Dav Whatmore in his columns and instead suggesting the name of former England player John Emburey, who has had little success as a coach and was largely considered a dummy candidate. Consequently, India's choice Graham Ford rejected the offer and Emburey too said he was not interested.

Bedi's outburst was being perceived as an unprecedented public attack from a prominent ex-cricketer on Gavaskar, who is widely respected for his stature and has long been a part, in some form or another, of the Indian cricket establishment.

But Bedi said: "Cricket circles had immense and blind respect for him (as a cricketer) and he successfully used this to ensure that board officials remained in awe of him. He wants the glamour, the position and if there are any financial gains so much the better...but he does not want any accountability. He's always liked power without accountability."

Asked about Gavaskar's contribution to Indian cricket, Bedi told the magazine: "I had a lot of time for his batting but never as a thought leader. You tell me what his contribution has been. He is destructive, there is nothing positive."

Bedi added: "I remember the time I was called by the then-NCA (National Cricket Academy) director Brijesh Patel, along with Erapalli Prasanna and VV Kumar, to train spinners there.

We did not hear at all from NCA chairman Gavaskar before, during or after the camp. I also recall his presiding over a captains and coaches meeting where he gave me the impression he was not even listening."

Bedi has been known to make acerbic comments on cricketing matters. But this tirade is astounding even by his own standards and we might just see a full-blown spat between the two legends of Indian cricket. Later, Bedi was even heard repeating his words in a panel discussion on a Hindi news channel.