Kapil gives his pension to orphanage

Cricket icon Kapil Dev donated the pension he received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to an orphanage and called upon other well-off cricketers to gift theirs to others in need.

"I request the cricketers who don't need this pension to give it to those who are in need," the legendary all-rounder said at a ceremony organised by the Delhi and District Cricket Association to give away the first cheques of the new Pension Scheme for former Tests cricketers and umpires.

The Pension Scheme has been instituted by the BCCI on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.

As per the scheme, every retired cricketer and umpire who represented the country in the Test arena will get Rs 5,000 per month for life.

"The Board has done well to bring out this pension scheme but there are some cricketers who don't need this and some who absolutely need it," Kapil said.

"I give my pension to Hamara Ghar, a home run by a 90-year old man. And five kids will get a thousand rupees each through this.

"Who knows, one of them could tomorrow become a Sachin Tendulkar or Laxman or Dravid."

But Kapil's request was anticipated by Rajinder Pal, who after receiving the cheque announced that his pension would go towards the "development of future Uttaranchal cricketers".

"I would say to the Board, 'Don't look at present but at the future'," said Pal, who played only one Test, against England in 1963-64.

"I have not received any details about the scheme. I want to know if the pension is taxable.

"If yes, I would want the BCCI to pay that tax," he added.

The first to receive the cheque was Surindernath, who made his debut against the West Indies in 1958 and played 11 Tests in all.

Surindernath, who has the honour of clean bowling Peter May of England, said the pension amount of Rs. 5000 was less significant in present circumstances but long way from the days when he was paid Rs. 250 for a match.

"If anybody broke his bat, he would start looking around because the wage we got was less than the cost of the bat," he said.

All the former players were unanimous in their request to the BCCI to extend the scheme to one-day international and domestic cricketers and umpires as well.

Surindernath also asked the Board to issue all former players an "ID card with which we can go and watch a Test match anywhere in India without having to look for free passes".