The Bangalore boy finally got his due. For Anil Kumble it will be a proud moment when he takes to the field as India's Test captain on November 22 against Pakistan.
Kumble being made the captain has had such an impact in Bangalore that people really did not bother to live up to the hype of both Om Shanthi Om and Saawariya.
There were celebrations at the Anil Kumble Circle in Bangalore and the residence of the star portrayed the look of a mela with people queuing up since morning to wish the man himself.
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Images: Captaincy caps Kumble's resume
We spoke to two of his closest friends in the cricketing circles who said that they were happy but added that the responsibility should have come much earlier. They also blamed the Board of Control for Cricket in India saying that Kumble should have been named captain for both the Pakistan and Australia series, so that he could have chalked out a plan better.
Both Sunil Joshi and Sathish Vishwanathan who have grown up with Kumble feel that he surely will do justice to the job as he is a fighter. "However the captaincy should have come much earlier," they say.
Sunil Joshi who has played alongside Kumble at both the Ranji level and the international level told Rediff.com that he is happy for Anil. He should have been given the captaincy much earlier. He however added that this is a moment of glory and it is indeed a privilege to captain the Indian Test team against Pakistan.
Joshi feels that Kumble will don the mantle of captaincy with ease because of his ability to plan and also his aggressive nature.
Moreover he is a very good team man, he says. I have played a lot with Anil and he has this ability of being two persons - one on the field and the other behind the boundary ropes. He is extremely friendly off the field which will be good for the team, Joshi added.
The former cricketer however said that it is unfair on part of the board to have named him captain only for the Pakistan tour. What is the harm in announcing a Test captain for two more tours? It will only do good to the confidence of any cricketer.
Vishwanathan who has been following Kumble closely has also played with the sensational spinner at the state level. "When there are three immediate series coming up, it is not right to name him captain only for one series. The board is only creating suspense which is not good for any player.
"While I have no doubt that Kumble will rock as a captain, I feel that he should have been given the role at least 5 years back. He is consistent and can lead any team with ease. I feel that the board should have named him captain for the upcoming Australia tour also. Apart from Ganguly and Kumble, there is no other player in the Indian team who can stand up to the arrogance of Ricky Ponting and the likes," added Vishwanathan.
