NEW DELHI: Legendary cricketer
Sunil Gavaskar
turned 75 on Wednesday, and tributes from across the border flooded in, with Pakistani greats referring to him as the "original batting don" of
Indian cricket
.
As one of the best batters in history,
Gavaskar
received birthday greetings from his former opponents, which included Pakistani batting greats
Javed Miandad
,
Zaheer Abbas
,
Mushtaq Muhammad
,
Sadiq Muhammad
, Shoaib Muhammad,
Mohsin Khan
, and Iqbal Qasim.
"Now that you have completed 75 pray, you carry on your magnificent innings in life," Zaheer Abbas told PTI.
Even though Gavaskar isn't playing cricket anymore, Zaheer expressed his happiness at seeing him remain a prominent commentator.
"Like his batting, his insight into the game is invaluable. He was the original batting don of Indian cricket. I learnt a lot from just watching him bat up close," he said.
According to Zaheer, the main reason Indian cricket produced batting greats like
Virat Kohli
and
Sachin Tendulkar
over the years was because they had Gavaskar as an idol.
In addition to being a superb batsman, Miandad claimed that Gavaskar was also a good man. The two had played many matches against each other on the field.
"I remember in 1992 during the World Cup his words of encouragement for the Pakistan team boosted us."
Miandad declared that he has always admired Gavaskar's style of batting.
"His was the most valuable wicket for us whenever we played against each other. His was a prized wicket. I wish him all the best on his birthday."
Mushtaq Muhammad, the former captain of Pakistan and leader of the legendary 1977 series in which Gavaskar amassed enormous runs in the Test matches, recounted how his main objective would have been to identify a gap in Gavaskar's batting.
"We all belong to the same era and it is pleasing to know Gavaskar is celebrating his 75th birthday. Wish him the best," he said on the telephone.
"Gavaskar and Bishen Singh Bedi were the backbone of Indian cricket in the 70s," added Mushtaq.
Shoaib Muhammad, the nephew of Hanif Muhammad, the Pakistani little master, and a close friend of Mushtaq, also sent Gavaskar birthday wishes.
Shoaib told the story of how his father, who thought Gavaskar was one of the greatest batsmen of his time, would always advise him to study his batting style.
"Gavaskar sahab had a lot of respect and regard for my father and I admired that," he added.
Recalling Gavaskar's lighthearted repartee with the Pakistani players, Mohsin Khan remarked that the Indian batsman's attention and concentration were incredible.
"Whether we played against him in Karachi or in Mumbai or in Sharjah when he batted he was like a wall. He played a big role in the evolution of cricket in Sharjah. Wish him the best," he said.
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