Bishan Singh Bedi
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| Bishan Singh Bedi | ||||
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 India |
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| Personal information | ||||
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |||
| Bowling style | Slow left-arm orthodox | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Tests | ODIs | |||
| Matches | 67 | 10 | ||
| Runs scored | 656 | 31 | ||
| Batting average | 8.98 | 6.20 | ||
| 100s/50s | -/1 | -/- | ||
| Top score | 50* | 13 | ||
| Balls bowled | 21364 | 590 | ||
| Wickets | 266 | 7 | ||
| Bowling average | 28.71 | 48.57 | ||
| 5 wickets in innings | 14 | - | ||
| 10 wickets in match | 1 | n/a | ||
| Best bowling | 7/98 | 2/44 | ||
| Catches/stumpings | 26/- | 4/- | ||
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As of 4 February 2006 |
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Bishan Singh Bedi pronunciation (sometimes spelt as Bishen Singh Bedi) born September 25, 1946 in Amritsar, is an Indian former cricketer who specialised in slow left-arm orthodox bowling. He played Test cricket for India and formed part of the famous Indian spin quartet. He also captained the national side in 22 Test matches. Bedi is known for being outspoken and forthright in his views on cricketing matters.
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[edit] Playing career
As captain of India, Bedi's personality inevitably led to some controversies. One famous controversy occurred during a Test match against the West Indies in 1976 when he objected to the intimidatory tactics of the West Indian fast bowlers and declared the Indian first innings closed early after two players were forced to retire hurt. Subsequently, five players were absent hurt in the second innings of the match.[1]
In November 1978, he became the first captain to concede an international cricket match. In a One Day International against Pakistan at Sahiwal, India, with 8 wickets in hand, only required 23 runs from 14 balls. Bedi, however, recalled the batsmen from the crease and conceded the match in protest at the bowling of Sarfraz Nawaz who had bowled 4 bouncers in succession with not one being called wide by the umpires.[2]
In Indian domestic cricket, Bedi first played for Northern Punjab and then later for Delhi. In the 1974-75 season of the Ranji Trophy, he took a record 64 wickets. Bedi also represented Northamptonshire in English county cricket for many years. He finished his career with 1560 wickets in first-class cricket — more than any other Indian.
He said that he has always washed his own clothes, calling it "the best exercise for your shoulders and fingers", when pointing out that spin bowling requires suppleness of limbs [3]
His highest score of 50 not out, his only half century at Test Level, was scored against New Zealand in Kanpur in 1976 [4]
[edit] Coaching
In 1990, he had a brief stint as coach of the Indian national team. He was the first person to be appointed to this job in a full-time capacity. Following one cricket tour where India had played poorly, he famously threatened to dump the entire team in the Pacific on the return journey.[citation needed]
[edit] Opinions on modern day cricket
Bedi has expressed strong opinions on many aspects of modern day cricket and has been described as "rarely afraid to speak his mind" [5]. In particular, he is a vehement critic of the bowling action of Muttiah Muralitharan ("if Murali doesn't chuck, then show me how to bowl" [6]) which he bluntly refers to as cheating and likens to a javelin throw [7] and more recently, shot putting, saying the Muralitharan "will complete 1000 Test wickets but they would count as mere run-outs in my eyes" [8]. He takes a very dim view of chucking, which he calls "a bigger threat than bribing and betting" [9] and claimed in 2004 that many bowlers on the subcontinent chuck, calling Muralitharan a "Sri Lankan bandit closing in on a dream artist called Shane Warne" [10]. He has stated, though, that he has nothing personal against Muralitharan [11], although Muralitharan has threatened to sue him [12]. Recently he has echoed the same criticisms against his countryman, Harbhajan Singh[13]. Regarding suspect actions in cricket, he said "When a bowler is chucking, he's referred to panels and the home cricket board. Why not do the same for a wide or no-ball, then?" [14]. He has accused one-day cricket, modern cricket bats and small grounds of causing a decline in classical spin bowling in India [15].
He has also attacked Sunil Gavaskar, calling him "a destructive influence" [16]. He said to Australian coach John Buchanan "Tell us, John, have you made this Australian team great, or have they made you?" [17] He once famously bowled Colin Cowdrey in a first-class match and remarked "I like your style of batting!"[citation needed]. His son, Angad Bedi has also represented Delhi in the Ranji Trophy.
[edit] References
- ^ 4th Test: West Indies v India at Kingston, 21-25 April 1976. Cricinfo. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
- ^ 3rd ODI: Pakistan v India at Sahiwal, 3 Nov 1978
- ^ Cricinfo - 'Chucking is a bigger threat than bribing or betting'
- ^ 2nd TEST: India v New Zealand at Kanpur, 18-23 Nov 1976
- ^ Cricinfo - Bishan Bedi's deadly straight delivery
- ^ Cricinfo - 'Chucking is a bigger threat than bribing or betting'
- ^ 'Chucking is a bigger threat than bribing or betting'. Cricinfo. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
- ^ Cricinfo - Murali considers legal action after Bedi jibe
- ^ Cricinfo - 'Chucking is a bigger threat than bribing or betting'
- ^ Cricinfo - Home boys, Sheikhs and chucking
- ^ Cricinfo - 'I have nothing personal against Murali' - Bedi
- ^ Cricinfo - Murali threatens to sue Bedi
- ^ Bedi points finger at Harbhajan - Cricket - Sport - theage.com.au
- ^ Cricinfo - Bishan Bedi's deadly straight delivery
- ^ Cricinfo - 'Chucking is a bigger threat than bribing or betting'
- ^ Cricinfo - Gavaskar a 'destructive' influence - Bishan Bedi
- ^ Cricinfo - The malaise of bitterness
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Sunil Gavaskar |
Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1975/76 - 1978/79 |
Succeeded by Sunil Gavaskar |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bedi, Bishan Singh |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bedi, Bishen Singh |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Cricketer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 25, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Amritsar, Punjab |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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