When Kapil Dev ordered Dawood to get out of Team India dressing room

New Delhi: As the spot fixing cases are coming to light series after series, everyone has now come to know about the role of underworld in fixing cricket matches. From batsmen to bowlers and fielders, most of them have been approached by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang for fixing of matches in return for expensive luxury items or hefty amounts.The Indian team has also been approached many a times for spot fixing and some dishonest players trapped themselves out of greed but there are some who rejected the proposals given by Don himself.Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev insulted Dawood Ibrahim during a match in Sharjah when he walked into the team dressing room for negotiations with Indian players. Dilip Vengsarkar, who was in the Indian squad of the series in Sharjah in 1987, recounted the incident saying: “Dawood had said: 'If you guys win the tournament, I will give all of you a Toyota car each. The offer was rejected by the team”. According to the former Indian captain Kapil Dev, he was not aware of Toyota cars being offered by the Don but he recalled the episode and said, “Yes, I remember a gentleman walking into our dressing room in a game in Sharjah and wanting to talk to the players”.He added, "But I asked him to leave the dressing room immediately as outsiders were not allowed. He listened to me and then walked out of the dressing room without saying anything. Later, someone told me he was a smuggler from Bombay and his name was Dawood Ibrahim. Beyond that nothing happened".This incident was also recalled in the former BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele's book 'I was There -- Memoirs of a Cricket Administrator'. Lele wrote, “If the Indian team becomes champion here, I shall present a Toyota car to each team member, including officials, at their doorsteps in India," Dawood had told Lele and manager Dyaneshwar Agashe when they went out of the dressing room to meet the unknown (to them) wealthy industrialist in Sharjah. "As bad luck would have it, India lost the tournament. Australia was declared champions on the basis of a higher run rate, as Australia, England and India earned equal points! After the results were declared most team members were not in tears, but that man was!" wrote Lele."After a long gap, we came to know that the man who met us in Sharjah in 1987 was Dawood Ibrahim, the alleged mastermind of the dastardly Mumbai blasts in 1993," Lele wrote. "The matter of that contact with us somehow surfaced during police investigations and I was taken aback. When the police interrogated me, I trembled". He added, "However, I frankly and matter-of-fact admitted we met, and told them at that time we had naturally no idea about his background or future activities, and did not even know his name. I added that I had met the man there for the first and last time and I had even forgotten the incident. I could not have recognised him thereafter! The police fortunately believed me."