Players know exactly when camera is on them and how to celebrate: Mohammad Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently reflected on how the system around cricketers has evolved since his playing days. Kaif shared insights on the professional change in modern cricket, from fitness regimes to player celebrations, and contrasted them with his own experiences from the early 2000s.

Kaif mentioned that the amount of cricket played today has changed the need for support staff. He revealed that during his time the number of matches used to be significantly lesser compared to today's. Kaif stated that this is why physios, doctors, and personal trainers have increased in numbers and their need too. Modern players even travel with personal chefs and fitness staff, the luxuries that were absent during his era.

“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," he said on ‘Cheeky Singles’.

Virender Sehwag was always told to work on fitness: Kaif

The 44-year-old also pointed out how technology and social media have changed the way players celebrate on-field success. He revealed that today's generation of players is well aware of the camera placement and at what time they are being recorded.

“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),” he added.

The former Indian batter also spoke about the cultural differences in dressing rooms then and now. During his playing days, players often shared rooms, traveled together after practice, and bonded as a unit. He even recalled how even Sachin Tendulkar would wait for everyone to finish their practice before leaving.

“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.’” Kaif further added.

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The Uttar Pradesh-born also recollected how Virender Sehwag often found it tough to adapt to John Wright’s fitness culture. With compulsory gym sessions that demanded cardio, upper body, core, and legs, Sehwag often was told to focus on fitness. 

“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.”