Anshuman Gaekwad Cancer Treatment: WhatApp group of 1983 World Cup-winning group abuzz to raise funds

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Anshuman Gaekwad Cancer Treatment: The WhatsApp group of India's 1983 World Cup-winning squad is abuzz from the last few months to find ways to generate funds for their teammate Anshuman Gaekwad, who is suffering from blood cancer and needs financial support.

The likes of Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Sachin Tendulkar have already requested BCCI secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Ashish Shelar to step forward and help the former India coach.

While a response from the BCCI is awaited, the players from the 1983 World Cup batch have initiated fund raisers to meet the medical expenses of Anshuman Gaekwad, who has been admitted at a Vadodra hospital after his return from King's College Hospital in London.

“I don’t want the BCCI to do anything. They have done enough for the players and are still doing so. I would want everyone to come forward and help Gaekwad,” Kapil told The Telegraph on Saturday.

All the members of the 1983 squad have decided to donate their three-months BCCI pension towards Gaekwad’s treatment. Every player gets more than ₹75,000 per month and the total amount of around ₹50 lakh will be handed over to his family.

As per The Telegraph, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Kirti Azad have been trying to generate support from corporate honchos and friends for 71-year-old Gaekwad, who played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 to 1987.

The BCCI, who announced a prize money of Rs 125 crore for Rohit Sharma's team which recently won the T20 World Cup 2024, has a medical benevolent fund for retired first-class players, which allows them a reimbursement up to Rs 5 lakh.

“We are in touch with his family every day. It gives me immense pain to see him in this condition...” Syed Kirmani, Gaekwad’s one-time teammate, told The Telegraph.

Kirti Azad, another teammate of Gaekwad and a MP from Bengal, slammed the BCCI for not showing priority to the critical case. “Aunshu’s case should have woken up the BCCI. Sadly the officials haven’t come forward to take it up on a priority basis,” the MP from Bengal said.

“Aunshu was a tiger who took blows on his chest and face when facing up to the hostile bowling. The BCCI has been spending crores on officials’ travel and stay. It should have taken steps for the wellbeing of the past players,” said Azad.