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'I have never understood what amnesty means'
Kapil Dev is certainly a relieved man after being back into the BCCI fold but the legendary all-rounder still has reservations if one terms his comeback as getting "amnesty from BCCI."
"I never understood whether the word amnesty is correct or not. May be I am not very intelligent but I checked the dictionary to find the meaning," said Kapil with a tinge of sarcasm on the sidelines of relaunch function of popular sports magazine Sportstar.
People had associated the word 'rebel' with Indian Cricket League but the 53-year-old said that his stint at the unsanctioned league had been a learning experience for him.
"Whatever people might think, but personally I have learnt a lot. Now I feel more experienced and confident about taking up any responsibility that I am entrusted with," the former India captain said.
'I have never disregarded BCCI as it was'
He agreed that there were misunderstandings with the BCCI but those have been sorted out now.
"I have always believed that there isn't a single thing that can't be sorted out if two people sit across the table and talk it out. Even Indo-Pak issue could be sorted out if there is proper dialogue.
"I have never disregarded BCCI as it was, and will remain, my parent body. As a sportsman, my aim was to help sportspersons grow. The idea is to see what is good for sport rather than what's good for individuals," Kapil said.
When asked whether he is expecting any specific role from the Board, Kapil was non-committal,"I don't know. It's for them to decide."
'All these years, Kapil must have been very tense'
Kapil's first international captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who was also present at the function, termed BCCI's decision as "magnificent news."
"All these years, Kapil must have been very tense. It was a fair amount of time and there wasn't any need for it. Kapil still has so much to contribute to Indian cricket. Kapil must have understood that BCCI is still a parent body and one should give due respect to it," Bedi said.
Kapil, however was quick to refute on the "tense" part though.
"Paaji, for five years, I never had any tension," Kapil said as the small gathering had a good laugh.
'Kapil still has a lot to contribute to Indian cricket'
Kapil's one-time teammate and former ICL coach Madan Lal also welcomed BCCI decision. Two other former teammates also hailed BCCI's move.
"Kapil is one of the greatest all-rounders the world has ever seen. His contribution to the game is huge. His tremendous knowledge of fast bowling could be utilised by the BCCI in producing quality bowlers which is the need of the hour for Indian cricket," said another former captain Dilip Vengsarkar.
"It's a nice thing that both BCCI and Kapil have decided to sort out their differences as he still has a lot to contribute to Indian cricket," said Madan Lal.