Former India captain and team manager Ajit Wadekar turned emotional on Saturday evening and dedicated the Col C K Naidu lifetime achievement award from BCCI and dedicated it to the 1971 team India that won its first Test series abroad in West Indies, under his captaincy. ''I dedicate this award to the 1971 team'' Wadekar said in his thanksgiving speech in which he described the present squad under the ''able leadership of M S Dhoni, as the best ever in the annals of Indian cricket.
The team is full of achievers of world records, Wadekar also observed and added there was abundant talent in the Under 19 squad also, foreboding well for Indian cricket, expressing confidenece that those players would take over and create more world records. ''The future is very, very bright for Indian cricket'', he observed. Wadekar who had played 37 Tests to score2113 runs and achieved glory leading India to two successive overseas series wins in 1971 against West Indies and England, said it was fitting that he was receiving the award in the presence of the West Indies team, against whom he began his Test career. The Darren Samy led West Indies team which attended the BCCI annual awards function, cheered him loudly.
