Chandu Borde believes cricket was more about passion than money in the 1960s
Former Indian cricketer Chandu Borde is of the opinion that cricket was more about passion than money back in the 1960s.
In a Facebook live chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Chandu Borde revealed the actual fees that players received during his time as an active cricketer, adding that their priority was always to play for the Indian cricket team. He said:
"We never thought about money because our first aim was to play for the country and try to perform. The money part was totally missing because it wasn’t there. We used to get 250 rupees per Test match. Once the match got over in four days, 50 rupees were cut. Present day cricketers are getting more money and naturally they are trying hard to be with the team. Challenges are plenty for them because there are so many cricketers are coming up because of the opportunities also and the money also and also different kind of cricket is being played."
Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar among my favourite players: Chandu Borde
Chandu Borde also named the likes of Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar as the players he admires the most.
Borde was under the mentorship of Hazare during his time as a cricketer. Players like Gavaskar and Tendulkar only played after he became the chairman of selectors.
The 85-year-old highlighted that the kind of passion that these players had could not be compared with the present-day cricketers. As an example, he recalled how Tendulkar was hit on his chin by Waqar Younis only to continue playing without giving up.
Chandu Borde said:
"I remember 1989 when we went to Pakistan and he was 16 years old and this what at Peshawar where we were playing a practice match. In that match they had got the nets on the ground. He was the first person to go in the nets and the last to come out. Even the groundsman came and told me that ‘Sir please tell your player to come out. We have to prepare the pitch’. So that was the desire he had. He wanted to be there all the time. When we played in Sialkot against Pakistan in the Test match, Sachin was hit by Waqar Younis on his chin. So I rushed on the ground and told him to get healed. But he said so sir I want to play. So the passion he had was amazing."