Former India player, selector and coach Anshuman Gaekwad is battling blood cancer in a hospital in London and is in urgent need of financial support for his treatment, said his former team-mate Sandeep Patil.
Patil, who met Gaekwad in London recently, called upon the BCCI to come forward to help the ex-India coach. He praised the Board for its massive bonus of Rs 125 crore (Rs 1.25 billion) for the Indian team for winning the T20 World Cup and is hoping that similarly they will be generous enough to fund Gaekwad's treatment.
'The BCCI has walked the talk with this humungous cash reward. It's unprecedented but not undeserving from the players' point of view. A Board can have money power and yet not share the pie with its players. Here, BCCI is putting out the best spread for the people who have made their country so very proud,' Sandeep Patil said.
'The Board is well known for helping its former players through assignments, one-time payments, lifetime awards entailing cash rewards. Medical help too.
'I visited London in May for a function and happened to catch up with my former India and West Zone team-mate Anshuman Gaekwad. He was in hospital fighting blood cancer,' Patil said in his column for the Mid-day newspaper.
'Anshu (Gaekwad) told me that he needs funds for his treatment. Dilip Vengsarkar and me spoke to BCCI Treasurer Ashish Shelar. In fact, our calls were made to Ashish Shelar after seeing Anshu at King's College Hospital in London.
'Ashish Shelar instantly said he would look into ours and other former cricketers' request for funds. I'm sure he will facilitate this and, at the risk of sounding macabre, save Anshu's life.
'Any cricketer from any country should be helped by his Board, but Anshu's case must be taken up on priority and treated as paramount,' Patil wrote.
Patil also called upon former players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who played under Gaekwad's coaching, to come forward and support Gaekwad.
'Sachin Tendulkar was most successful during Anshu's term. Not for a moment I'm suggesting that all those runs came from Anshu's blade, but he was there when Sachin needed all the moral support to play his natural game and that was, to blast away.
'Rahul Dravid, India's outgoing coach, played under coach Anshu. Knowing Rahul, he too will be moved to do something in his own way to ease Anshu's pain.
'India is rejoicing at the moment. The country deserves to. It's also a time to reflect and do our best to look after players of a previous generation.'
'The BCCI to its credit has stepped out of its crease as it were to help their players. One big step for Anshu will send his worries and ill health out of the ground as it were.'
Gaekwad, who made his India debut in 1974, played 40 Test matches before serving as the coach of the Indian cricket team from 1997 to 1999. He was also part of the national selection committee.
