London: Kapil Dev, who captained India to its maiden World Cup win in 1983, has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at a ceremony in the House of Lords.

The award, constituted by the Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF), was presented to the legend on Wednesday evening for his contribution to the sport and for his work through the Khusii society to bring up the poor and destitute communities.

“I am very proud to be an Indian… Today, India is ready to do business with anybody in the world,” Dev said in his acceptance speech.

“I used to hate England because they ruled my country, but I am happy that they gave us the game of cricket, which they can’t play very well, and the English language, which I can’t speak very well,” he added on a lighter note.

Arguably the greatest pacer and all-rounder India has produced, Kapil led India to a landmark victory over the West Indies, in the 1983 World Cup final, at Lord’s.

With 434 wickets, the 55-year-old Kapil held the record for most number of wickets in Tests for some time, before being eclipsed by former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh in 2000.

Muttiah Muralidharan currently holds the record for most wickets in Tests with an astounding 800 scalps. Anil Kumble, with 619 wickets, is the leading Indian in the category.