VIRENDER SEHWAG WAS A FOODIE; HE WOULD TICK ALL FOUR BOXES IN THE GYM ROUTINE EVEN WITHOUT DOING THEM:  MOHAMMAD KAIF  

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: ‘Speaking on ‘Cheeky Singles’,  former Test cricketer Mohammad Kaif reflected on how the support system around players has grown compared to his playing days:

“Nowadays, the frequency of matches has increased a lot. 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. Now, teams don’t do that; 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.”

On who loved food over workouts in his playing days: “It has to be Virender Sehwag. He was always told to focus on fitness. When John Wright became India’s coach, he created a culture where you had to go to the gym and do cardio, core activity, legs, and upper body. This was compulsory, and every time you went, you had to update what training you had done. We would usually do running and one more activity, at most two things. But whenever Sehwag went to the gym, he would tick all four boxes: legs, upper body, cardio, and everything, every single day, even though he may have done just one or two of them. After a month, Sehwag had 50–60 ticks, while we were at 20–30. He was a foodie, so it was difficult for him to adjust to the fitness routine.”

On how players today celebrate after good performances: “Back in the day, when I played for India, we never planned celebrations, nor were we even aware if a camera was recording a specific moment that would be replayed multiple times. We were straightforward. But nowadays, players know exactly when the camera will be on them and how they will celebrate. The awareness has increased. The main reason for this is mobile phones and social media. Today, highlights are everywhere on social media. That’s a big change and new players are not holding back (while celebrating).”

On how players used to share rooms earlier compared to today:

“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. Nowadays, there are cars ready for players so that they can leave after they are done with practice. In our time, we would always leave together. Even Sachin Tendulkar, after finishing his batting and fielding drills, he would wait for the last player and say, ‘Finish practice first, then we’ll go together.’

Speaking on ‘Cheeky Singles’, Sanjay Bangar revealed who he considers a foodie in the current Indian team: “In today’s team, I think it’s Mohammed Shami. He is very fond of eating. Whenever you bring food in front of him, he enjoys it and not just for himself, he makes sure the person next to him eats as well.”

Catch more such candid conversations on the latest episodes of ‘Cheeky Singles’ only on JioHotstar and the Star Sports network_*

Link to the full episode: https://www.hotstar.com/in/shows/cheeky-singles/1271438242/cricket-then-and-now/1271438248/watch.