Chennai: Former captain Kapil Dev on Tuesday lashed out at the Indian players for lacking team spirit in the ongoing Test series against England and also criticised senior cricketers, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, for not motivating the youngsters in the team.
The former all-rounder, who led India to its maiden World Cup title in 1983, slammed Dhoni’s men for “going through the motion more than their love for the game” during the ongoing four-match series which England have already pocketed 3-0.
“Indian players did not play as a team. I am not trying to blame anybody but I think they played too much cricket. Within four days of winning the World Cup you play IPL. They then travel to West Indies for a tour and then from there to England. I think our players were going through the motion more than their love for the game”, Kapil said.
Asked whether there were any other reason for the humiliating defeat against England which has dislodged India from the number one position, Kapil said the seniors have not played a role in guiding the youngsters during the tour.
“No cricketer walked up to young bowlers to advise them on what line to bowl. Dhoni could go up to Ishant and tell this. Media termed him as ‘Captain Cool’. He says everybody should know their job.
“In Indian sports, we have not reached that level where all the players know what they should do. We still look up to captain and senior players. We need somebody with aggression. All the senior players have become so senior that they do not want to be aggressive”, he said.
When asked about his take on Dhoni and team spirit, Kapil said, ” Everybody go ga ga about Sachin Tendulkar that ‘I learn from him and so on’. If you ask Virender Sehwag who is your guru he will say Sachin. But I have never seen Sehwag or Sachin or Laxman, with their bundle of experience in batting, walking up to the bowlers to advise them the correct line to bowl. I do not know whether I am making sense or not. But in my opinion, the new theory in Indian cricket is that bowlers have to work themselves and batsmen need to do everything by themselves. The required guidance is not there. May be I cannot see that what they talk about. I was not on the ground or in the dressing room. (PTI)