Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif felt that Indian cricketers these days have been more professional, unlike those during his times. Notably, Kaif had coached the Delhi Capitals during the 2019-20 session and felt that players are more self-centered nowadays.
Comparing both the conditions, Kaif recalled how the great Indian batter and his colleague Sachin Tendulkar used to wait for his teammates to finish practice. They used to come together and retreat together. These days, according to Kaif, cars wait right outside the nets. Speaking to JioHotstar show Cheeky Singles, Kaid said,
"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."
He added,
"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. Nowadays, there are cars ready for players so that they can leave after they are done with practice."
Notably, the BCCI issued a 10-point diktat following the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy where the team bonding was prioritized over family and personal staff.
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Players need to take care of their bodies: Kaif
Mohammad Kaif further addressed the increased number of matches India plays. During his time, the numbers were less, and they had enough time to recharge. Nowadays, the players are travelling frequently from one place to the other, and thus taking care of the body is mandatory for them. Kaif explained,
"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 added,
"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."
