Former India captain Kapil Dev feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and some other players have lost their focus after winning the 2011 World Cup and the players are putting their self-interest ahead of the team.
“After the World Cup win, I feel they (Dhoni and other players) have lost focus. I think all the players are self-involved,” said Kapil, who led India to its first World Cup win in 1983.
Kapil’s comments came in the wake of India’s disastrous performance over the last 12 months.
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The legendary all-rounder believes the team spirit is lacking in the Dhoni-led side.
“All players now have their personal coaches, doctors and trainers. The side lacks the team feeling. Sometimes I see them eager to stand at fine leg after finishing their job. Eventually if you have to win, you have to win as a team,” said Kapil at an award function in New Delhi late Friday.
Kapil didn’t spare coach Duncan Fletcher either.
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“There is a misconception about the word ‘coach’ It is all about man management. For me the coach is the person who taught me the game. Only your team mates can tell you where you are going wrong.”
Kapil said it was very tough for foreign coaches to succeed in the sub-continent because of the communication problem.
“For foreign coaches communication remains a big problem. I am a big fan of home-grown coaches. I think Sourav Ganguly didn’t do the right thing by calling in a foreign coach and setting the trend.”
Asked why India was not getting good fast bowlers like Pakistan, Kapil said: “Being a fast bowler is a tough job. In India every young cricketer wants to become a Sunil Gavaskar or a Sachin Tendulkar. We don’t have enough fast bowling role models. But in Pakistan every child who picks up the ball wants to be Imran, Wasim or Waqar.”