LAHORE,Feb18: Former Indian skipper Bishan SinghBedisaid on Wednesday that president BCCI Jagmohan Dalmiya's statement that "nervous players will have the right to opt out", wouldinstead help ensure a full-strength Indian team.
Hopefully all the players would not like to be considered nervous, so they would opt for the Pakistan tour in March-April, Bedi said while speaking at a forum organized by Focus Pakistan.
He advised his compatriots to travel to Pakistan as there was nothing true about security apprehensions and he believed only cricket couldhelp promotepeace between the two traditional rivals.
"Frequent visits of cricket teams will make people-to- people contacts which is most important for (nurturing) long lasting friendship," said Bedi, who led Indians in 1977-78 tour of Pakistan.
He sawhuman values on decline with excessive use of electronic gadgets. "Eventhecricket coaches are relying more on lap-top than the neck-top (head). Remember, brain goes in the field but lap-top remains in the dressing room," he remarked.
Bedi advised people of both the countries not tobeso emotionally charged at the results of matches. Rival-sentiment between people oftwo nations is good but it should not turn people nasty, he said citing examples of Australians, Britons and New Zealanders, who he said had alsorival-sentiments for one another, but they all behaved in a sporting way.
Bedi said his message to all the players in the words of worldgreat batsmanDon Bradman, was "I want to be remembered after thedeath for my integrity".
