Early in his career, after the young Sachin Tendulkar became aware of his own deification, just one thing changed in him. When asked to make a public address, he started spacing out his words. He would speak slowly, measuring what was coming out of his mouth, word by word, concentrating hard. His voice was almost girly but what was worse was that he was so completely aware of this blemish. Kapil Dev never had that problem.
Here’s Kapil Dev at Lord’s in a dark blue blazer and with a gleam in his eyes immediately after picking up the 1983 World Cup: I am happy, what my team done here today…A target wasn’t good enough to fight…
And here is Kapil in 2008, 25 years later, talking about that victory, during a BCCI function to felicitate the players: We like acknowledge how proud how happy today we are. His grammar has undergone little change in over a quarter century. It might even have deteriorated, if you consider that in the latter instance he was reading from what looked like a prepared speech. In the line, you can pick out five grammatical mistakes. You could even correct it (‘We’d like to acknowledge how proud and happy we are today’). But then comes his next line: You are inviting us and giving us such a reception which we never ever expected. This is when you suspect there is more at work here. He is not speaking in English. He is speaking a unique language that has its own rules. Observe the lines that follow: What we achieved 25 years I think in our own mind we were very young people. Perhaps some of the people understood what happened. As a captain I didn’t understand what really happen and how it happen…People loved us and that was the biggest reward. The board loved us and that was the reward. A lot of people in last one week or ten days talk lot about money. In my mind money everybody loves money but the love and affection what people get it, what you are giving to us, I think that is unparallel.
Kaplish has some mysterious patterns. For one, half of Kapil’s sentences are in proper English. In his 1983 post-World Cup victory spiel, he said in indisputably correct English: We should do it next time as well. And then, there’s a switch to Kaplish: We played like a winner throughout the game, throughout the series, everybody fight, fight for their lives and they said we will do it. Sometimes, half his sentence is in English and the other half is in Kaplish. Like this gem when he headed the Indian Cricket League and the BCCI gave him grief: Administration says no, ICC say noes.
In recent times, we have heard a lot of Kaplish, thanks to the BCCI–ICL spat and television. He abolished prepositions (We are not expecting any recognise us), he was liberal with the indefinite article (The idea is to have a cricket in India), and sometimes, well, sometimes he said something like this: I never want to say that but today I am saying that. Today or ever cricket will go divide somewhere only one person to be blamed.
Yet, no one ever wonder what it that he meant, that’s the horrifying beauty, even if it a language different, the message come across a clear.
OLDER COMMENTS FIRST
29 COMMENTS
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Brilliant. I have enjoy it the story thoroughly. What for you did not write the longer piece?
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I loved the piece! Especially the Kaplish - english ending!
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Please - let's not make fun of anyone's efforts to speak a non-native language (i.e. one that you were not educated in). In Kapil's case, as long as the message and intent is clear, grammar is irrelevant. He should be lauded for making the effort and reaching out while exposing his grammatical flaws. The condescending tone of the article is symptomatic of a wider malaise in India that the usage of "proper" English is necessary to earn respect in society. I'm pretty sure that a Frenchman using the same language wouldn't have elicited the same response from this author. Get a life, man!!
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Kapil manages to convey the essence of his thoughts quite clearly, he speaks with such honesty and straight from his heart that the grammatical mistakes do not seem important. Comes accross as a simple and uncomplicated person.
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This article is dumb and stupid.
Who cares if Kapil paaji is grammatically correct or not, he is one of the greatest cricketers India has produced. The man lead India to a world cup win, the only world cup India has ever won.
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Yes, Kapil is a brilliant cricketer and is simple and uncomplicated and his grasp of the English language doesn't define him. I really don't think anyone will question his cricketing skills following this article , so what's the big fuss about? its an opinion that the author has given, read it and brush it aside if you don't think much of it. i think its a good article based on all of these comments it's receiving! with all of these comments back and forth, what it'll do is end up being in the most commented list and then more ppl will read it...hah! so much for it being "Dumb and Stupid'..?!
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This article is up there with some of the worst I have read. English isnt Kapil's native language. There is no need to pick holes in his english speakng skills. He was a cricketer not a news anchor! Get a life!
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what a retarded article... the guy doesn't get paid to speak - he played cricket and was bloody good at it... retarded is also an understatement.
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The article is in very poor taste. Kapil had no formal English education until he became a cricket star. His advertisements for English learning aids may be familiar to many. He need not have total command over the English language. There are other languages (Hindi for one) which both the journalist and Kapil are comfortable with and they may converse using those languages. Moreover, a cursory reading of this article seems to indicate that the writer may better spend his time augmenting his own English writing skills than worry about Kapil's command over the language.
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Kapil the cricketer has given countless joy than the mistake kaplish does..one question to the author ..Do you remember Kapil Dev at Lord’s in a dark blue blazer and with a gleam in his eyes immediately after picking up the 1983 World Cup or Kaplish saying " I am happy, what my team done here today"..anybody would say it is the former..Also to use Kapils Kaplish..I am happy, what Kapil done everyday for India..
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just in case you've been living under a rock in Madagascar your whole life, mate, he's a cricketer - not an English teacher. Damn good at what he's supposed to do - so, let's focus on that, eh?
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its rude on the part of the writer to publish such a comment without even considering who is trying to make fun of.
English is not Kapil's first language, nor did he have education in english.
in fact, the writer should join a grammar class himself before publishing such tripe.Yet, 'no one ever wonder what it that he meant, that’s the horrifying beauty, even if it a language different, the message come across a clear.'
i'd point out at leasst 5 mistakes in that one itself.
being funny is alright, but please don't stoop to such levels
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Who does the writer think he is, Churchill or Fowler? Pray tell me how well you speak your own English. It is shameful to make fun of one's usage of a language that is not one's mother tongue. This blasphemous thought process should exit the writer's mind for sanity to prevail.
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Not that Kapil need anyone's permission.He too good for some generalist journalist. The thing to see in him is his capability to never ever ever give up. Very few player like him in India. More needed. Too many good English speaker already. More not needed...
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Hillarious article! The ending Kaplish sentence was the clincher :-)
That said, I hope the author acknowledges Kapil's undeniable talent and never-say-die spirit. Having the good fortune to hail from Kapil's hometown of Chandigarh, his dedication and hard work are folklore. I wonder how many of us would be able to follow our dreams despite resistance from family, lead our country to the highest pinnacle of one day cricket, and have the guts to speak in front of the world with no fear of 'bungling' in a foreign language?
English or Kaplish, Kapil Bhajji is the Great-ish-t !!
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The article is really funny! He speaks like this because he thinks in Punjabi or Hindi but talks in English.
Unlike most people commenting here, I don't find the article offensive. He was a great player and his language skills don't change that. The writer has emphasized that point throughout. We Indians are too sensitive, why should famous and talented people be above humor? Grow up!
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I can find many mistakes in this write-up as well. The author, it seems, is not as smart as he would like to believe. Who in written English uses terms like 'has got independence'. Then he constructs phrases like "Here’s Kapil Dev at Lord’s" and "and sometimes, well, sometimes he said something like this" which is extremely painful to read.
Kapil's place is secured in history for what was his primary vocation; you would be lucky to write few paragraphs without making all kind of errors and that is when- this is all you do.
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Well, I was shocked and appalled at reading this article. Not for what is written, but because a reputed website like cricinfo.com considered it important enough for the
front web-page. Finding flaws in language of a cricketer is like saying Osho doesn't has taste for rock music...may be an exaggeration, but very much along similar lines. There are so many cricketers like Sehwag, Harbhajan, Afridi, Saqlain to name a few, that have given interviews in hindi/urdu. How does it matter ? I would be more worried about their performance as cricketers or as policy makers. Such an article conveys the English-obsessed narrow minded outlook of the author, rather than anything about Kapil Dev.
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This is one of the worst articles i have read in recent times. Not because i am great at english language and i can find a number of mistakes in this artical but because the intent of this article is so poor that the author seems to have taken bribe from BCCI for writing this. Mr. Pillai can you match even 1% of Kapil paaji's cicketing talent??? Definitely not... and so you can not expect him to be good at what some others are good at...You have no authority to comment on Kapil Dev's performance in a job that has never been his primary job.... Also you have said that Sachin has a girly voice.....may be you have girlish thinking(commenting without any sense),....
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Wow ! Stupidity thy name is Madhavankutty Pillai. But if you look at other articles this author has puked before, it is mild in comparison. The heading of his other article is something to do with Hitler and one another piece of junk refers to Mallya as comrade. So obviously he is a troll hiding under journalistic cover to say stupid things, what is alarming is a reputable organization such as Cricinfo has decided to provide a platform to this idiot.
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The author is either a complete idiot, or a pubescent schoolboy. I'd like to hear him speak Haryanvi or Punjabi, which would be the languages spoken at Kapil's house, school and college when he was growing up.
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A Few words for you.. Get a LIFE!
Kapil Dev, you know the name because he played Cricket and was mighty good at it and not because he claimed to be a saviour of the English language, which I assume you think you are.
To me, people like you are nothing more than Spam, an utter waster of perfectly useable space and oxygen.
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poor author,
good way(or better say,pitiful) to get some limelight(your other dozens of scraps attracted just one comment in all).
you got so many in here. didn't you??
you are one of the obnoxious bloggers, who can reach any mile just to seek attention.
care for what you write. shortest way isn't always the best one.
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ROFL
twitter.com/abangalorestory
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angrez chale gaye
apni dum chhod gaye
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Now that you, Mr Pillai, have had a glorious time picking on Paaji's poor English, it's time to return the favour: let's see you face up to Paaji's pace bowling for just one over. Open Magazine could give out free tickets to all its subscribers. I think that sight - of you hopping and leaping to avoid bodily harm - will be rather more enjoyable for Open readers than this ridiculous nit-picking oh-so-superior article.
Really, picking on Kapil's English is like grabbing a low-hanging fruit - and crowing about it. Seriously, guys, grow up.
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all those who have a problem with this article obviously suffer from an
inferiority complex about their English. something which Kapil never had.
It's a fun piece where the writer even states that the beauty of Kapilish is that he didnt care whether it was correct and no one ever had a problem understanding him. but we are like that only, sitting in our holier-than-thou armchairs and speaking up for people who dont need their two-bit opinions and without the balls or the brains to understand or do anything but sham rage. when kapil was accused of betting, it was these very same people who were telling each other 'it's so sad that even he could be involved. OR WHEN THE BCCI WAS HOUNDING HIM OVER ICL NOT ONE OF THESE KAPIL PROTECTORS MUST HAE WRITTEN EVEN A POSTCARD OF SUPPORT
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In a world where celebs walk around with fake accents and borrowed vocabulary, it was truly refreshing to read Kapil da's tale! A fascinating article peppered with just the right amount of humor. Well penned!
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Ok, so a non-native English speaker struggling to speak a language which is third language to him. So wheres' the story?
Try getting the English to speak French or Hindo or Urdu?
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