“Oxford mein se kisi ko bulalo” - When Kapil Dev revealed his captaincy skills were questioned due to his poor English

Former India captain Kapil Dev, who turns 66 years old on Monday, January 6, is known to be a thorough entertainer, both on and off the pitch. While his exploits on the field are well-known - including that of leading India to their maiden ODI World Cup in 1983 - some of his comments off it have also generated heartwarming responses.

In an old video of his that has resurfaced, the famous all-rounder is seen talking about his limited command of the English language leading to his leadership being questioned.

Speaking to the legendary political journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Dev recalled when people in India felt that he did not speak English well enough, and hence, could not be made captain of its cricket team.

"Maine kaha kisi ko Oxford mein se bula lo. Ye country thoda sa pagal ho gayi hai - inko English ka junoon hai. (I said, call someone from Oxford. In this country, everyone wants to learn English.) English is a language that you can learn and express yourselves (in). But the important thing is, do you know your own language?" said Dev.

You can see the video here (from 0:38):

Kapil Dev was one of the finest all-rounders in the world

Dev is perhaps the finest outswing-bowler that India has produced so far, to go with his heroic batting skills that won the country many a match. He ended his international career in 1994 with 434 wickets to his name in 131 Tests. He also played in 225 ODIs and picked up 253 wickets in them.

With the bat, Dev scored 5,247 runs in Tests at an average of 31 with eight centuries and 27 half-centuries. In ODIs, the former India captain ended up with 3,783 runs at an average of 23.79 and an extremely impressive strike rate of 95.07, which was miles ahead of the generation in which he played his cricket.