Kapil Dev took an aim at the current set of Team India players by insisting there is a sense of ego in play in not seeking advice from past cricketers, including his esteemed teammate Sunil Gavaskar, who is busy doing commentary duties and following the Indian team closely in the contemporary times.
The legendary former skipper said he gets an ‘I know it all’ vibe from Indian cricketers plying their trade for the country at the top-level game these days and upheld Gavaskar’s comments made in the aftermath of India’s loss to Australia at the World Test Championship final at The Oval.
Gavaskar had criticised the Indian team for their decision-making and called out their tactics after opting to bowl first on a dry surface and the lack of bouncers employed at centurion Travis Head at the start of his innings.
The legend had also spoken of a sense of arrogance creeping into the system of the current team and its players, and the emphasis that no voice on the outside matters until its supportive regardless of their on-field actions and results.
Speaking to The Week magazine, Kapil agreed with Gavaskar’s word and said while it’s great for the players to retain a sense of confidence and belief in their playing capabilities, the attitude he claimed borders on egoistic and know-all, and there is an urgent need for cricketers to be more openminded and seek guidance from experienced heads.
“Sometimes when there is too much money, arrogance comes. These cricketers think they know everything. That’s the difference. I would say there are so many cricketers who need help,”
Kapil said.
“When Sunil Gavaskar is there, why can’t you talk? Where is the ego? There is no ego as such. They feel ‘we are good enough’. Maybe they are good enough, but extra help from somebody who has seen 50 seasons of cricket, he knows things. Listening sometimes can change your thought,”
he added.
Earlier, Gavaskar had told the Indian Express “no one” from the current crop comes up to him for advice on their games, a stark contrast from the times, he said, he had the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag interacting with him.
