Gavaskar's doubts unfounded, says Perry

Roland Perry on Saturday asserted that his chronicle of the Dream Team was an authentic version of Sir Donald Bradman while seeking to put at rest doubts raised by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

"I can vouch for its authenticity. The Bradman Museum Director and Sir Donald's son, John Bradman, have also fully supported the book. This should lay the controversy to rest," Perry told PTI in Sydney.

In a recently published book 'Bradman's Best', Perry has chronicled 12 all-time great players who he claimed had been selected by Bradman for his 'Dream Team'. Sachin Tendulkar is the only current cricketer in the team while two other Indians, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, who were in the initial short-list of 69 players, failed to make it to the final team.

Gavaskar had questioned Perry's claim saying Bradman would not have liked to get into such a controversy.

Perry differed with Gavaskar on the latter's opinion that Bradman would never criticise a player. "It is not true. There are many instances of constructive criticism of players and analysis of cricketers in his autobiography 'Farewell to Cricket' published in 1950," he said.

On Gavaskar's own credentials in the eyes of Bradman, Perry said, "Sir Donald regarded Gavaskar's batting style as technically perfect in every way. He bracketed him with Sir Leonard Hutton, the opening batsman and captain of England.

"The choice of the (Dream) team is from his (Bradman's) own mould and he thought that Gavaskar's chief fault was a lack of aggression," Perry said.