No harm in Shah Rukh watching cricket matches, says Kapil

JAIPUR: Former Indian captain Kapil Dev on Wednesday defended Shah Rukh Khan's presence at cricket matches, saying association of a celebrity like him would popularize the game.

Kapil said Shah Rukh was a cricket fan and watched the fifth ODI between India and Pakistan here for his sheer craze about the sport.

"I think like any other cricket buff Shah Rukh took time off to watch a match and there was nothing wrong in it. If the Prime Minister of India comes to watch a match, it is a great thing for cricket," he said.

"Shah Rukh is known for his movies and acting and if he had a chat on his film, I don't think it was wrong," he said.

Kapil said a star like Shah Rukh did not need to use a cricket match to make publicity for his movie.

"Shah Rukh is already a popular personality in the world through his films. Does he need cricket to popularise himself and his work?"

On his favourite film actors, Kapil said, "Dev Anand was my childhood hero. In my younger days I liked Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra and now I like Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh."     

Kapil, however, refused to name his favourite heroines and said, "Yeh nahin bataoonga, aapko bura lagega (I will not tell that, you may feel bad)."