Famous cricket coach Desh Prem Azad, who had coached Kapil Dev and several other Test cricketers, passed away Friday after a brief illness here in Mohali. He was 75.  Azad reportedly was undergoing treatment in a private hospital for the past 15 days.

 

 Yuvraj Singh tweeted about Azad's demise: "Really sad to know about the death of DP Azad sir, coach of so many great cricketers from northern India. RIP Azad sir."  As a cricketer, Azad represented Haryana, Maharaja of Patiala's XI and Southern Punjab. He featured in 19 first-class matches and scored 658 runs and took eight wickets.

 

 He was honoured with the Dronacharya award and also served as a match referee in two Under-19 matches in 2005.  "I would give 90 percent of credit to Azad for whatever I managed to accomplish," Kapil had written in his autobiography Straight from the Heart.

 

 During Wisden Cricket Awards at Lord's in 2002, Kapil famously said: "DP Azad's strictness helped me become the Indian captain."  Other cricketers, who were coached by Azad are Chetan Sharma, Ashok Malhotra and Yuvraj's father Yograj Singh.

 

 –Indo-Asian News Service