Kapil Dev and his English related anecdotes

[Nova]

Kapil recently addressed a gathering in Chennai on the occasion of a book release. 

 

Kapil Dev, the chief guest of the event, in his speech had the audience in splits with his earthy, self deprecating humour. He started his speech with a piece of advice his English teacher gave him when he said he was going to address an audience in Chennai. The teacher told Kapil not to speak for more than three minutes as his vocabulary would desert him after that.

He recounted a few amusing stories from his early days in international cricket when he didn’t know a word of English. In fact, the chief selector was very reluctant to appoint Kapil captain for the 1983 West Indies tour as he spoke no English. Kapil’s reaction to that was that the selectors could appoint an Oxford educated captain who spoke impeccable English, while Kapil would get on with the cricket. Kapil said he problems with the way English was spoken in the countries he visited. In Australia he was stumped when a cricketer asked him: “Have you come to die?” Nonplussed, Kapil replied, “No, I’ve come to play cricket,” till former captain S. Venkataraghavan nudged him and said, he’s asking if you’ve come today?

In a riposte to Guha, who rhapsodised about Kapil’s superlative catch to get Vivian Richards out in the 1983 World Cup final, and where he claimed that Kapil was actually grinning, Kapil said tongue-in-cheek, “I wasn’t smiling, I’m buck toothed, even when I’m angry, I look the same!”

 

"Have you come to die"... No I have come to play cricket. 

 

Palmolive da jawab nahin

[tweaker]

[beetle]

[Adi_91]

Salute his English speaking. A man who punches above his weight. Great stuff!