Responding to a past remark made by his former teammate Sunil Gavaskar, who had stated that players from the current Indian team never sought help from experienced players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag when going through rough patches in their careers, legendary skipper Kapil Dev criticized the current Team India members, referring to them as “arrogant” and “know-it-all.”
On Monday, ahead of the third and final ODI match of the series against West Indies in Trinidad, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gave a strong remark to the former India captain’s comment.
During an interview with The Week, Kapil expressed his opinion that the current players, who receive substantial contracts, particularly in the IPL, have developed arrogance and a sense of knowing everything.
“When they have a huge amunt of money, arrogance gets in them. These cricketers start believing they know everything, and that’s where the difference lies. There are plenty of cricketers who require assistance. When someone like Sunil Gavaskar is available, why not seek guidance?”
“Ego shouldn’t be a barrier. They might be talented enough, but receiving extra help from someone who has witnessed 50 seasons of cricket won’t harm. Such a person knows the cricketing nuances like the direction of the grass growth and the sun’s position,” he further added.
During the pre-match press conference ahead of the series decider in West Indies, Jadeja was informed about Kapil’s remark, and he responded sharply, saying, “I don’t know when he made this statement. I don’t look for things like that on social media. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and ex-players have the right to share their views. However, I don’t believe there is any arrogance in this team,” Jadeja stated to reporters.
The 34-year-old cricketer explained that such comments typically surface after India faces a defeat. He emphasized that every player in the Indian dressing room takes immense pride in representing the nation and diligently works towards delivering their best performance without any personal agenda.
“Each player is enjoying their cricket and putting in hard work. Nobody is taking anything for granted. They are giving their 100 percent. Comments like these usually arise when the Indian team experiences a loss. We are a united and dedicated group, representing India is our primary goal, and there’s no personal agenda,” Jadeja added confidently.
The ODI series decider between the Indian cricket team and the West Indies cricket team will take place 1st of August from 7 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
