World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev on Friday (February 14, 2025) expressed concern over the rising variety of accidents amongst Indian cricketers, attributing it to the demanding schedule that retains gamers in motion for nearly 10 months every year.
The Nationwide Cricket Academy in Bengaluru has changed into a rehabilitation hub, with gamers spending extra time recovering than coaching.
The newest casualty being India tempo spearhead Jasprit Bumrah who was pressured to take a seat out of the second innings of the ultimate Take a look at in Sydney resulting from a again harm.
Initially named within the Champions Trophy squad, Bumrah has now been dominated out.
Mohammed Shami, India’s prime wicket-taker within the 2023 ODI World Cup (24 wickets), suffered a leg harm post-final and underwent surgical procedure.
His 14-month restoration dominated him out of the BGT sequence, which India misplaced for the primary time in a decade. Shami’s absence left Bumrah and not using a dependable bowling accomplice.
“The one factor that worries me is that they play for 10 months a yr — accidents might be way more frequent,” the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper mentioned on the Tata Metal Golf prize distribution ceremony right here.
Requested whether or not Bumrah could be missed in CT, Kapil urged gamers to concentrate on supporting one another moderately than dwelling on injured gamers.
“Why discuss somebody who is just not within the group? It’s a group recreation, and the group has to win, not people. This isn’t badminton, tennis, or golf; we’re enjoying a group sport within the Champions Trophy. If we play as a group, we will certainly win,” mentioned the 66-year-old.
“You by no means need your most important gamers to get injured, but when it occurs, you’ll be able to’t do something about it. Good luck to my Indian group — go and play effectively,” he added.
India will start their Champions Trophy marketing campaign towards Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
Kapil mentioned he is excited to see a lot rising skills within the Indian cricket group lately.
“Whenever you see the children, their confidence is unbelievable. We didn’t have this a lot confidence after we have been younger. Good lluck to them.” A identified golf fanatic and the present PGTI president, Kapil additionally made a playful pitch for the game.
“Inform everybody to play golf. If they aren’t enjoying cricket, they need to come and play golf. In the event that they do, their efficiency might be higher. There may be plenty of enjoyable in golf.” Emphasising on the significance of infrastructure for younger golfers, he mentioned: “If younger gamers get the precise services, they’ll enhance. We try our greatest.”
‘LIV Golf will do what IPL did for cricket’
The PGTI head additional likened Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s rise to the IPL’s influence on cricket, stressing that extra tournaments would solely profit gamers.
“When the IPL got here, everybody benefited. So, every time there may be change, everybody will profit. The extra tournaments, the higher. The extra occasions that occur, the higher it’s for the gamers,” Kapil mentioned.
Launched in 2021, LIV Golf is a rival to the PGA and DP World Excursions, providing profitable contracts, shorter 54-hole occasions, team-based codecs, and no cuts. It has attracted prime golfers but in addition sparked vital controversy.
Kapil additional referred to as for extra golf programs to spice up India’s Olympic prospects.
“It’s important to construct extra golf programs — solely then can we play and do effectively within the Olympics. In the event you go to Scotland, there are about 100 programs. Right here, in Kolkata, you have got solely two or three.
“There needs to be extra driving ranges; extra gamers will emerge. You probably have extra colleges and schools, solely then will youngsters examine, proper? Gamers want alternatives to specific themselves.” Dismissing the notion that golf is unique to the elite, he gave instance of cricket’s transformation.
“Ninety per cent of the highest gamers come from caddie backgrounds. If prime gamers are caddies-turned-pros, then we should always take away this notion that golf is an elite recreation.
“About 60 years in the past, solely royals performed cricket — have a look at it now! The identical will occur with golf; frequent individuals will play. This recreation is for everybody,” he signed off.
Revealed – February 14, 2025 04:26 pm IST
