I know the Board would take care of him’ – Kapil Dev donates pension, asks BCCI to assist Anshuman Gaekwad fight cancer

Sandeep Patil disclosed earlier this month that Anshuman Gaekwad, the former opener for India, is fighting blood cancer and has been hospitalised to a hospital in London.

The 71-year-old has requested assistance because he is having financial difficulties as well, but BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) officials have not yet responded. In the midst of this, Kapil Dev, Anshuman’s old teammate, agreed to assist pay for his treatment by donating his pension.

Anshuman was a powerful opener in his own right, and the captain of the 1983 World Cup-winning team also urged teammates to step forward and assist him. Recalling how the player suffered injuries to his face and chest in order to support Indian cricket, Dev feels that it is now time for people to step up and support him in this fight. The 65-year-old begged the supporters to pray for Anshuman in the interim and expressed his hope that BCCI will intervene quickly to handle the finances.

It is quite depressing and melancholy. I am hurting because I toyed with Anshu and I can’t stand to watch him like way. Nobody ought to endure pain. I’m confident the Board will look after him,” the former cricket player said to Sportstar.

“We’re not pressuring anybody. You will only be able to assist Anshu if you truly want to. He stood up to some of the fierce fast bowlers and took hits to his face and chest. It is time for us to defend him now. Our cricket fans won’t let him down, I’m sure of that. He said, “They ought to pray for his recovery.

Former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar reportedly spoke with BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar, who assured him that the matter will be handled. Dev also brought up the fact that the BCCI does not have a suitable mechanism in place to assist its former players. He went on to say that although today’s players receive good salaries, things weren’t always the same in the past, thus he wants BCCI to look after the senior players from the past.

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“Sadly, we don’t have a framework in place. It’s wonderful to see players from this generation earning respectable wages. It’s encouraging to see that support employees receive competitive pay as well. The Board lacked the funds during our tenure. The veteran players from the past have been taken care of today and should continue to be,” Dev stated.