Former India captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev opined that the current generation of Indian players think “they know everything” there is to know about the game. Kapil Dev reiterated Sunil Gavaskar’s views from a month ago that the Indian players have “ego” and let it come between their way to asking the retired players for advice and suggestions.
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain also strongly opined on the money and fame the players get these days, saying that it might even get to their head.
Following India’s loss in the WTC Final 2023 to Australia at The Oval, Sunil Gavaskar had strongly criticized the Indian players for not seeking help and advice from him even when he’s regularly near the team while doing his commentary duties.
Gavaskar had told Indian Express: “No, no one has come. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman regularly came to me. And they would approach me with a specific problem and you could tell them something which you had observed. I don’t have an ego about this, I could go and talk to them but since there are two coaches — Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathore – so sometimes you hold back since you don’t want to confuse them with too much information.”
They feel ‘we are good enough’: Kapil Dev on Indian players
Kapil Dev echoed Sunil Gavaskar’s sentiments in his recent interview with The Week. Dev acknowledged that while the players may be confident, they act and feel as if they have all the knowledge about their game. Kapil Dev suggests the Indian players to put their “ego” aside and seek advice from ex-cricketers.
“Differences come out, the good (thing) about these players…is that they are very confident. Negative point is they think they know everything. I don’t know how to put it better than that. But they are confident, but they think ‘you don’t have to ask anybody’. What we believe is an experienced person can help you,” Kapil said.
“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. 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.”
