CAB felicitates former India, Pakistan greats at Eden Gardens

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) felicitates former India, Pakistan greats at Eden Gardens

KOLKATA (January 3, 2013): A host of former India and Pakistan players, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Intikhab Alam, were Thursday feted by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) during the ODI between the two teams at the Eden Gardens to celebrate the silver jubilee of the ground staging its first ever ODI.

Planned by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), the felicitation was done by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who gave Rs one lakh each to the cricketers.

Former Pakistan players like Wasim Akram, Intikhab Alam, Sadiq Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Mushtaq Mohammad, Rameez Raja were taken around the field.

They were accompanied by former India cricketers like Bishen Singh Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Krishamachari Srikkanth, Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman.

Kolkata’s favourite son Sourav Ganguly was the only one to go around solo in the jeep as the fullhouse Eden responded to the gesture with a thunderous applause.

The biggest cheers, however, were for Laxman, who had made the ground his own by playing several masterly knocks, and, of course, local hero Ganguly.

Roars of “VVS VVS” and “Sourav Sourav” filled the air as the cavalcade of cars carrying all the greats moved around the stadium.

Incidentally, India and Pakistan had played the first ODI at the Eden Gardens on February 18, 1987 when Salim Malik played a blinder [72 off 35 balls] as Krish Srikkanth’s century went in-vain.

“It’s a historic day over here today.

It’s wonderful to see and meet most of your ex-cricketers.

I met [Bishen Singh] Bedi, Kapil [Dev], Ajit Wadekar. Bishen is a good friend of mine. I met Sunil Gavaskar alongside whom I played for Rest of the World and I also played against him,” said former Pakistan skipper Intikhab Alam.