Former batter Sandeep Patil hailed the BCCI for announcing a prize money of ₹125 crore for the Men In Blue as they won the 2024 T20 World Cup. But he also urged the board to simply provide funds to assist in ailing the former player and coach Anshuman Gaekwad. Gaekwas has been battling blood cancer for the past one year and Patil said that he had visited the 71-year-old at the King’s College Hospital in London. Patil further added that Gaekwad let him know about his need for funds for his treatment at the time.
“Anshu told me that he needs funds for his treatment. Soon, Dilip Vengsarkar and me spoke to BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar. In fact, our calls were made to Ashish Shelar after seeing Anshu at King’s College Hospital in London. Ashish Shelar instantly said he would look into ours and other former cricketer’s request for funds,” Patil said.
“I’m sure he will facilitate this and, at the risk o sounding macabre, save Anshu’s life. Any cricketer from any country should be helped by his board, but Anshu’s case must be taken on priority ans treated as paramount,” he added.
‘Current players inspired by the cricketers he coached’
“He coached India in another era but the current payers have been inspired by the cricketers he coached during his successful stint,” Patil further said in the column. “I’m no stats man, but I think Sachin Tendulkar was most successful during Anshu’s term. Not for a moment I’m suggesting that all those runs came from Anshu’s blade, but he was there when Sachin needed all the moral support to play his natural game and that was to blast away. He was also a national selector in the 1990s and currently the president of the Indian Cricket’s Association.”
