Team India to help hockey players

Mumbai: Team India has expressed solidarity with the disgruntled hockey players. In fact, they were sad that the players had to ask for their past incentives rather concentrate on the work on hand. Now MS Dhoni & Co are planning to make contribution to the hockey team after Sunil Gavaskar took the initiative.

DNA has learnt that the former India captain approached Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh realising that the cricketers should do something for the hockey fraternity.

“All we wanted was for the players to resume training and prepare for the World Cup with no other thoughts in their minds,” Gavaskar told this paper.

Gavaskar was delighted with the response. “I approached skipper
Dhoni and Harbhajan and suggested that we as the cricketing fraternity should come forward and help the situation by offering the players the incentive, recognition and reward that they were looking for a podium finish. To my absolute delight both were most agreeable and said that they would talk to the other players as well as those coming in to join the Test squad. Now that the issue stands resolved we are all delighted and wish the players the very best for the World Cup next month.”

Gavaskar, currently in Dhaka as part of commentary team for the ongoing series, said he was disturbed to see the players stop practice. “It was a bit disturbing to see the situation in Pune. Instead of the players concentrating on the training camp they had to ask for their past incentives etc.”

He revealed that he took the initiative because he felt the hockey is pride of the country. “At the press conference one of the players said that HI have told them that they will beg, borrow or steal and give them Rs1 crore if they have a podium finish. Hockey is our pride and joy and this standoff was getting nobody anywhere,” Gavaskar remarked.