Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif not too long ago mirrored on how the system round cricketers has advanced since his taking part in days. Kaif shared insights on the skilled change in fashionable cricket, from health regimes to participant celebrations, and contrasted them along with his personal experiences from the early 2000s.
Kaif talked about that the quantity of cricket performed in the present day has modified the necessity for help employees. He revealed that in his time the variety of matches was once considerably lesser in comparison with in the present day’s. Kaif said that for this reason physios, docs, and private trainers have elevated in numbers and their want too. Trendy gamers even journey with private cooks and health employees, the luxuries that had been absent throughout his period.
“These days, the frequency of matches has elevated rather a lot. I keep in mind after I performed within the NatWest Trophy closing, which was in July. After that, I performed my subsequent ODI solely three months later within the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Again then, there have been fewer matches, and we at all times acquired breaks in between. We had time for conditioning camps. Now, groups don’t do this; gamers simply journey and go straight into matches, from one match to the following. That’s why there’s a lot speak about physios and docs, as a result of gamers must care for their our bodies. Health has develop into such an enormous a part of the sport. Gamers now even journey with their private chef and coach. All these items have elevated in comparison with our time,” he mentioned on ‘Cheeky Singles’.
Virender Sehwag was at all times informed to work on health: Kaif
The 44-year-old additionally identified how expertise and social media have modified the best way gamers have fun on-field success. He revealed that in the present day’s technology of gamers is nicely conscious of the digital camera placement and at what time they’re being recorded.
“Again within the day, after I performed for India, we by no means deliberate celebrations, nor had been we even conscious if a digital camera was recording a selected second that may be replayed a number of instances. We had been simple. However these days, gamers know precisely when the digital camera will likely be on them and the way they may have fun. The attention has elevated. The primary motive for that is cellphones and social media. At the moment, highlights are in every single place on social media. That’s an enormous change and new gamers are usually not holding again (whereas celebrating),” he added.
The previous Indian batter additionally spoke concerning the cultural variations in dressing rooms then and now. Throughout his taking part in days, gamers typically shared rooms, traveled collectively after apply, and bonded as a unit. He even recalled how even Sachin Tendulkar would wait for everybody to complete their apply earlier than leaving.
“Now gamers have develop into extra skilled. I used to be a coach within the IPL, and I observed gamers would end apply and head straight to their lodge rooms, both spending time on their telephones, watching films, or taking part in video games. However once we performed, we spent quite a lot of time collectively throughout apply. These days, there are vehicles prepared for gamers in order that they will depart after they’re executed with apply. In our time, we might at all times depart collectively. Even Sachin Tendulkar, after ending his batting and fielding drills, he would watch for the final participant and say, ‘End apply first, then we’ll go collectively.’” Kaif additional added.
The Uttar Pradesh-born additionally recollected how Virender Sehwag typically discovered it robust to adapt to John Wright’s health tradition. With obligatory fitness center classes that demanded cardio, higher physique, core, and legs, Sehwag typically was informed to deal with health.
“It must be Virender Sehwag. He was at all times informed to deal with health. When John Wright turned India’s coach, he created a tradition the place you needed to go to the fitness center and do cardio, core exercise, legs, and higher physique. This was obligatory, and each time you went, you needed to replace what coaching you had executed. We’d normally do operating and yet one more exercise, at most two issues. However each time Sehwag went to the fitness center, he would tick all 4 bins: legs, higher physique, cardio, and every part, each single day, although he might have executed only one or two of them. After a month, Sehwag had 50–60 ticks, whereas we had been at 20–30. He was a foodie, so it was tough for him to regulate to the health routine.”
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