Mohammad Kaif has never minced his words. Even after India’s disappointing exit from the final race of the World Test Championship (WTC), the former cricketer did not back down. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kaif shared his thoughts on India’s current Test woes and what he thinks can bring salvation.
“On February 23, India will receive a lot of praise after beating Pakistan in the Champions Trophy,” Kaif said. “And everyone will say we are the champion team of white-ball cricket, but the truth is we are just white-ball thugs.”
A wake-up call for Indian cricket.
India’s 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy sparked criticism. Many fans and pundits criticized coach Gautam Gambhir and senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. But Kaif believes the solution lies deeper than simply blaming individuals.
“India needs a proper Test team to win the WTC,” Kaif explained. “We need to learn how to play on seaming tracks. Players need to play domestic cricket more often and practice on spinning and seaming pitches. Otherwise, we will continue to struggle in red-ball cricket.”
Kaif also highlighted scheduling issues that prevent players from participating in domestic tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy.
Why do players skip Ranji Trophy?
One of Kaif’s major concerns is the absence of senior players in the Ranji Trophy. He pointed out that players often skip these important matches to get some rest between international series and major tournaments.
“Players don’t play the Ranji Trophy because they like to rest. But how can they improve if they don’t play on rough pitches? It’s difficult to play on turning tracks in India and even more difficult on seaming tracks in Australia and South Africa,” Kaif said. emphasized.
He called India’s recent Test defeat a necessary wake-up call and urged players to focus more on red-ball games.
“India lost 1-3 and I think this is a wake-up call,” he said. “We need to pay more attention to Test cricket. What happened is what happened. It’s time to work harder and prepare better.”
Also read: “It started well, but…” ..”, Babar Azam frustrated despite 50s on tour of South Africa.
Champions Trophy Showdown
Kaif is optimistic that the clash between India and Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be a turning point. The high-stakes match is scheduled for February 23 and Kaif believes this will help fans forget their disappointment over the recent Tests.
“If we beat Pakistan, we will get a lot of praise,” Kaif said. “But big changes are needed if we want continued success, especially in Test cricket.”
India’s next Test challenge is a five-match series in England after IPL 2025. With conditions expected to be challenging, Kaif’s concerns about track shimming seem even more pertinent.
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