Playing for flag is greatest honour

Kanpur : Even the late Lala Amarnath would have been happy to know that his eldest son Jimmy had been nominated for the Colonel C.K. Nayyudu award.

Mohinder Amarnath, the hero of the 1983 World Cup, expressed his feelings and also touched upon many other points of international cricket during a chat with Gulf News.

Following are excerpts:

 GULF NEWS: Were you surprised when you first came to know about this award?

MOHINDER AMARNATH: Honestly speaking. I was surprised. Yes, it is a pleasant surprise.

 What are the memories that came into your mind when you first been told about this prestigious award?

I never played cricket for reward. Never expected anything like this. I enjoyed every bit of moment playing for the country. To me that is the greatest honour. Everything would come second than playing for India.

 Would you say that winning the world cup in 1983 was your greatest achievement in the cricket field?

Yes, it is. Only those 14 can only tell you what was going on in our minds when we won the World Cup. It is a special memory for one reason, I was nowhere near the Indian team even one year before.

I feel proud and honoured that I also contributed for winning the World Cup.

 You were the Man-of- the-Match in the semifinal and final of the Cup. Do you think that was the two most memorable matches of your life?

I had other few matches in that list. But when I think that my performance helped India to win two consecutive matches in the world cup in 1983, it certainly brings lot of importance.

Winning the World Cup is still the ultimate goal for the Indians, even in 2009.

So, if you also agree to this, it naturally brings a lot of colour, enjoyment for that success.

 How do you describe Sachin Tendulkar for playing 20 years?

Great. He really did justice to his talent by working so hard years after years. It is not easy to perform consistently years after years.

If you think about the demands of the modern day cricket, Sachin has achieved huge success.

His commitment towards the game is too good.

 You also played 20 years. Your career started in 1969 and continued till 1989 ...

Please don't try to make any comparison.

I did not play at a stretch like Sachin. I was not a regular member in the Indian team.

I came in and went out regularly. But for Sachin's case, he has been playing continuously for more than 20 years and I am sure he will continue to play for India for few more years.

 People still talk about you as the original ‘Mr Comeback.'

Yes, I know. Every time I went out and spoke to myself that I would definitely make a come back.

I did it again and again because I believed I was good enough to play for India.

 What is your take on Twenty20 cricket?

Cricket? haha! It is just entertainment.