'Drank For 24 Hours, Should've Died': Sachin Tendulkar's Ex-Teammate And Sanjay Dutt's Co-Actor, Who Became BCCI Selector, Relives Tough Phase
Mumbai cricket has given the Indian national team several top cricketers. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Rohit Sharma, many of them went on to become global cricket icons
Mumbai cricket has given the Indian national team several top cricketers. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Rohit Sharma, many of them went on to become global cricket icons. There were, however, some who, despite being supremely talented, could not play for a long duration for the national team. Salil Ankola is among those players. The tall pacer made his Test debut in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi, in the same Test match as Tendulkar. He went on to play 20 ODIs and also became a BCCI selector. (India vs South Africa 1st T20I Live Updates)
However, he could not feature for the team on a consistent basis after injuries hampered his career. Ankola, who has acted in nine movies, including two with Sanjay Dutt, said that in 1997 he was in despair.
"I started drinking quite a bit in despair. Despair means your whole life you want something, when you're in the best form of your life... In 1997, I was in the best form of my life and suddenly I was injured. Srinath was injured, Manoj Prabhakar had gone, Kapil Paji had retired. So, I was there in the front and suddenly everything just disappears in a flash," Salil said on Vicky Lalwani's YouTube channel.
"And you won't believe, from 1999 or 2000 till 2011, I didn't watch a single match. I've not seen Virender Sehwag playing. I've not seen Virat Kohli debuting. I've not watched Zaheer Khan bowling. I've not seen Ajit Agarkar bowling. My own friends have not seen them playing. Why? I just didn't want to see cricket anymore."
He went on to elaborate on that phase of his life: "I didn't choose to drink how much I drank; it happened over the years. If I was up for 24 hours, then I would be drinking for 24 hours. That was my way of escapism. They tried to stop me, but then it's up to an individual. Maybe I was not ready to stop then. I have been to many rehabs, tried to give up alcohol many times, but it wasn't happening, despite my wanting to," said Salil.
"God has been kind. I shouldn't have been alive. I would have been dead in 2014 itself. I was in ICU, three times given up for dead."
He went on to say how his family and wife Ria supported him and helped him return to normal life
India Cricket Team
Sachin Tendulkar