Azad taught me to be honest on field: Dev

Without Desh Prem Azad, there would have been no Kapil Dev. He made me what I am. I am feeling really, really bad after hearing about the news of his death.

He was a central figure in bringing me up as a cricketer and without his presence, I don't think I would have been able to ever play international cricket. He gave me a good life and his influence on me remained even after I gave up playing cricket.

In recent years, he was not just a coach for me but a friend. I had huge, huge respect for him.

People have often asked me what it was about DP Azad that I liked. When I look back on my earliest days trying to make it as a bowler, and the way my coach kept egging me on...those were beautiful times. He was humble and stressed on the need for humility but he was very, very strict. More than technical coaching, he instilled this never-say-die attitude in me which I think was his single biggest gift.

So if I have to pick out one reason why without DP Azad there would be no Kapil Dev, I would say he taught me the value of discipline. He would say, "You have to be honest on the field." There were no shortcuts with him, and he made me realize there would be no shortcut to success.

(As told to Partha Bhaduri)

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Shweta Pandey

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