31 December,2010 08:31 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
South Africa's chief selector, Andrew reckons India's class of 1992 had more depth than the current team which beat his countrymen in Durban
Former South Africa batsman and now, chief selector, Andrew Hudson reckons it would be unfair to the Indian teams of the past to hail the current one, which has registered multiple Test victories in the West Indies, England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, as the best-ever.
| Andrew Hudson |
Excerpts:
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On India's 87-run win at Kingsmead:
A fantastic victory by India, full marks to them. They showed a lot of character to bounce back after the Centurion defeat. I thought the knock by VVS Laxman would go down as one of the best played in Durban. It was a masterclass. He showed our batsmen how to play here.
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On whether this the best Indian side he has seen:
It is a top-class side. The first Indian side we faced had Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin and Anil Kumble. Perhaps, the current side doesn't have the depth that the early 90s team had. There's a lot of dependence on Zaheer Khan.
Also, the current side gets to tour a lot more, with the IPL and Champions League. They get top-class training, have the experience of Tendulkar to bank upon. So, it would be unfair to say the previous sides weren't good enough. They could have won a lot more abroad if they played in
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On whether India should India play to its spin strength:
It seems you have better balance. It is nice to see good pace bowlers in the team. I think it's a strong unit. Zaheer Khan is a top-class bowler. I know the South African batsmen rate him very highly. I never faced him, but I see he's got a lot of skills.
On the never-ending Tendulkar story:
The amazing thing is that he is still focussed on cricket, still level-headed. I have never seen him linked to controversies. That is remarkable. I take my hat off to him.
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On the challenges of being chief selector:
In terms of transformation policy, we have found the balance. We are looking at only skills now.
We obviously have to follow guidelines (minimum of four non-white players in the playing XI). But, there's a great system in place now.
On his hundred against India at Kolkata in 1996:u00a0
It was a personal triumph. I was always labelled as someone who couldn't play spin. That was a great feeling, a great Test match. Calcutta (now Kolkata) is a dream city, not just for me, but lots of others, with its mystical vibe. I have fantastic memories of that city.
