Calcutta: Bishan Singh Bedi, one of the most charismatic cricket captains of India and somebody known not to mince words, spoke to The Telegraph on Saturday evening.

The interview focused on a subject Bishan is hardly asked to comment on: Football, specifically on Kylian Mbappe, the France and PSG striker par excellence.

Excerpts...

Q Mbappe doesn't quite fit into the stereotype of a modern-day professional sportsman... For starters, he doesn't think it's necessary to be remunerated for representing one's country...

A It's quite mind-boggling, especially in the Indian context... Of course, Mbappe is a professional, but one with a huge difference... I've been reminded of a conversation I had with the late Sir Don Bradman on our 1977-'78 tour of Australia. I asked Sir Don why he'd not turned a professional, after all, there was no better professional than him when it came to thrashing bowlers all over... Sir Don replied it was because he wanted to enjoy his cricket... Professionalism tends to bring out a mean streak and one is constantly looking over one's shoulder, to see if somebody is threatening to go past. Sir Don was above all that.

Q Anything else from Sir Don on professionals and amateurs?

A Not off the cuff, but I recall having requested Sir Don for an article which would feature in the brochure of my Benefit Match... I'd sent the request while on the 1978-'79 (Revival) tour of Pakistan. In response, Sir Don asked if there was any truth to my joining Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. For, if I intended to, Sir Don would have nothing to do with me. I replied that I wasn't, despite approaches in three countries, as I wasn't convinced about Packer's motives. I certainly didn't want him to fire at the Establishment from my shoulder... Sir Don responded by writing a brilliant article on 100 years of left-arm spin in Australia... That was Sir Don, somebody who had a massive influence on me, pretty much like the late Frank Worrell and the late Mansur Ali Khan 'Tiger' Pataudi.

Q Getting back to Mbappe... He's only 19 (the most expensive teenaged footballer, by the way), yet his thinking has been a revelation...

A It's said that we live in times where, generally, the success of a sportsman is judged by his bank balance... In my view, there can be limits to one's need, but not greed... Mbappe's sentiments have just floored me, also turned me into a fan of France. It's because of Mbappe that I'll be rooting for Les Bleus in the semis (versus Belgium) and, hopefully, the final as well... Mbappe's commitment to France is so praiseworthy and he has ethics in place. He's a teenager with a clear head.

Q Mbappe intends donating his entire earnings from the World Cup to a charity, Premiers de Cordee, of which he's the patron...

A That's even better. From what I've read, it's a charity which helps children with disabilities.

[Mbappe stands to get around $ 22,500 per match, excluding any bonus.]

Q You've turned into a Les Bleus fan, but the team you have traditionally supported...

A Brazil. All because of one player - Pele, the best ever in my book.

Q Some words maybe on the shock-providing World Cup 2018...

A There's been far too much of body contact, yet one has seen so many moments of absolute brilliance. Let football remain a beautiful game, don't make it ugly... I've often felt sorry for the refs. I mean, they look threatened when hulks surround them to make a point.

Q Even in the 1960s, when you made your India debut (52 years ago, to be precise, in Calcutta) the players got a daily allowance...

A The lot before me got Rs 50 per day and I've heard the daily allowance would be cut if a Test finished before Day V... When I made my debut, the daily allowance had been increased to Rs 150. Some of us called it our 'smoke allowance'... Contentment was the driving force, wearing the India blazer was a huge thing... Not money... I have nothing against the present generation but, across all fields, there's an urge for more and more moolah... Money has to be a facilitator, not an end in itself... In the context of cricket, a new category of contracted players - A plus - has been introduced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India... However, we didn't get a Rupee more when we won the first Test series overseas, in New Zealand under Pataudi (in 1967-'68), and won three series in a row under Ajit Wadekar. But that was okay as we didn't play for money.

Q To end with your take on the just-ended Delhi & District Cricket Association elections, which saw Rajat Sharma defeat Madan Lal...

A The proxy vote is dead, long live the proxy vote! That should answer your question... What's most disappointing is that a political party got so heavily involved and cadres had taken over the Kotla... My philosophy is to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.