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Mohammad Kaif recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s role in team unity, contrasting past camaraderie with today’s individual routines.
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar (PTI)
Mohammad Kaif recently discussed the evolving team culture and Sachin Tendulkar’s critical role in maintaining team unity.
In an appearance on the Cheeky Singles show on JioHotstar, Kaif reminisced about how his era’s team operated like a close-knit family, spending considerable time together both on and off the field.
What Did Kaif Say?
Kaif shared an incident highlighting Tendulkar’s role in fostering unity. He revealed that during his playing days, no one left practice alone. Even Tendulkar, despite being the biggest star in the team, would wait until the last player had finished their drills.
“Now players have become more professional. I was a coach in the IPL, and I noticed players would finish practice and head straight to their hotel rooms, either spending time on their phones, watching movies, or playing games. But when we played, we spent a lot of time together during practice,” Kaif was quoted as saying on JioHotstar.
“In our time, we would always leave (practice) together. Even Sachin Tendulkar, after finishing his batting and fielding drills, would wait for the last player and say, ‘Finish practice first, then we’ll go together,” Kaif revealed.
“Nowadays, there are cars ready for players so that they can leave after they are done with practice,” Kaif added.
The significance of cohesion was underscored earlier this year when the BCCI, following India’s 1-3 Test series loss to Australia, included “team unity” in its 10-point directive to players. One rule mandates that players travel together for matches and practice sessions, discouraging separate arrangements with families to maintain discipline and camaraderie.
Kaif also reflected on the differing demands of various eras. He explained that when he played, there were fewer matches, and players often had long breaks between tournaments. While Kaif acknowledged the professionalism and detailed approach of today’s era, he stressed that the camaraderie and bonding of the 2000s, driven by leaders like Tendulkar, were equally vital in building strong, united teams.
“I remember when I played in the NatWest Trophy final, which was in July. After that, I played my next ODI only three months later in the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Back then, there were fewer matches, and we always got breaks in between. We had time for conditioning camps,” he said
“Nowadays, the frequency of matches has increased a lot. Players just travel and go straight into matches, from one match to the next. That’s why there is so much talk about physios and doctors, because players need to take care of their bodies. Fitness has become such a big part of the game. Players now even travel with their personal chef and trainer. All these things have increased compared to our time,” Kaif added.
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
Read More
