'He made fast bowling sexy': Jonathan Agnew among other legends pay heartwarming tribute to ICC Hall of Famer Kapil Dev
The contributions and accolades of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain, were celebrated by ICC during their Hall of Fame series.
Without a shred of a doubt, Kapil Dev is one of the best things that has happened to Indian cricket to date. The 1983 World Cup-winning captain's contributions to the country were so massive that even modern-day cricketers continue to reap the benefits of his hard work. The aggressive all-rounder's accolades have not been forgotten and will never be. Kapil Dev is a name that will remain immortal in the history books of Indian cricket.
International Cricket Council (ICC), on its social media handles, has been paying tributes to its Hall of Fame inductees this month. On Monday, they shared a video on Twitter which read: "Kapil Dev, India’s finest all-rounder, is considered as the true game-changer. We celebrate him on #ICCHallOfFame today."
Numerous cricketing legends and journalists came together to stress the impact of Kapil Dev on the fortunes of Indian cricket in ICC’s Hall of Fame series.
In the same video, Jonathan Agnew, the former England cricketer, paid a rather tribute to Indian legend Kapil Dev, stating that the former cricketer made fast bowling look ‘sexy’. He stated: "Whenever I came across Kapil Dev, he always played the game with a smile on his face. I think his most important contribution to Indian cricket was making fast bowling sexy. He brought a new element into Indian cricket."
Kapil Dev brought India onto to world map. A leader like none other, Kapil Dev was a "game-changer", as described by Pakistani fast-bowling great Wasim Akram. He stated: "Over 400 wickets, 5000-plus Test runs, 250-plus one-day wickets. For me, a true game-changer."
Even former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming shared a few words of appreciation for the great Indian cricketer, saying his longevity and skill set were great.
"He was a wonderful all-rounder and his contribution to Indian cricket goes far beyond just his on-field performances. Being a fast bowler in India didn’t appeal to many, but Kapil Dev did that year after year. His record would show that his fitness, endurance, and ability to do that was phenomenal. His longevity was great but his skill set was also there. He certainly put India on the cricketing map," remarked Fleming.
After bagging 687 wickets and 9031 amassing runs in 356 international matches, Kapil Dev bid adieu to the game in 1994.