Gautam Gambhir voiced his anger to cricketers showing excessive friendliness and showing camaraderie while competing on the cricket field. These remarks were made by the former 2011 World Cup winner during the India-Pakistan match at the Asia Cup on Saturday.
Gautam Gambhir takes on players
Gambhir attributed the shift in aggression levels and player relationships to franchise cricket leagues, where cricketers from various nations come together to share dressing rooms. Reflecting on his own playing days, Gambhir offered guidance to current players, suggesting that they should maintain their friendships off the field and away from the boundary ropes.
What did Gautam Gambhir say?
During the mid-innings show on broadcasting channel Star Sports, Gautam Said, “When you play on the field for your national team, you must leave the friendship outside the boundary ropes. Game face hona zaroori hai. Dosti bahaar rehni chahiye (Game face is required. Friendship can be maintained on the outside). There has to be an aggression in the eyes of both sets of players. You can be as friendly as you want after those six or seven hours of cricket. Those hours are very important, because you’re not just representing yourself, you’re representing a nation of over a billion.”
Continuing further, he said,”These days you see players of rival teams patting each other on the back and exchanging fist bumps during a match. You would never see that a few years ago. Aap friendly match hi khel rahe ho (you’re playing a friendly match only).”
The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, the first ODI match in the last four years was washed away in rain. Team India scored 266 runs in 48.5 overs before being all out, however, rain barged in and the game was called-off with a ball being bowled in the second innings.
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