Calcutta: As captain, Bishan Bedi was always known to stand up for his players. He never battled an eyelid during the Kingston Test in 1976 when he had to declare the innings at 97 for five fearing injuries to his players. It left the West Indies with a victory target of 13 which they achieved to clinch the series 2-1.
More than 40 years later, Bedi echoed the same sentiments during the sixth Tiger Pataudi Memorial Lecture on Saturday.
"Cricketers are responsible for whatever controversial happens on the cricket field... Cricketers khud kiye hain. Douglas Jardine started the bodyline series, not the administrators. In Jamaica during the 1976 series, we were put into bat and were 205 for one when the second new ball was taken... We eventually declared at 306 for six.
"I told the then BCCI secretary Ghulam Ahmed saab if you didn't say anything, I will speak. The umpires later told me 'we don't want to die... The crowd will kill us.' But I was firm in taking a stand. If given another opportunity, I will do the same," he said, recalling how umpires Ralph Gosein and Douglas Sang Hue made no effort to rein in the bowlers.
Bedi also cited the third ODI in Sahiwal which India conceded to Pakistan after being 183 for two in 37.4 overs chasing 206 in 40.
"I remember what happened in the ODI in Sahiwal during the 1978-79 tour to Pakistan. There were bouncers which were out of the reach of batsmen. Prime Minister Morarji Desai sent us on the tour, which was supposed to be a friendship trip. But there was a lot of hostility. I spoke to the Pakistan Cricket Board's secretary who said " khelo.... Vishy ke jaga ek lamba aadmi ko bhejo," he said.
"If a ball is wide of the batsman, it should be considered a wide... It's up to the umpire's common sense to decide whether it's a bouncer or it's meant to intimidate the batsman. Even in Tests, a delivery above the head is considered as wide. It's a question of taking a stand."
Bedi also cited how "the mess have been created by the players".
"Chucking is again because of the players... The ICC obviously woke up a shade too late. I always used to discuss with Tiger and he was all along supportive. But I'm not taking any credit... I'm a very limited cricketer."