Mohammad Kaif, one of the finest fielders during his days, said it is going to be difficult if Indian team led by Virat Kohli continues fielding this way as was evident during Australian tour where they dropped simplest of catches.
India produced some memorable performances with the bat and bowl as likes of Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli and T Natarajan shone during the white-ball series Down Under.
Mohammad Kaif: So Many Dropped Catches And Misfields Cannot Be Part Of The Game
While speaking in the post-match show on Sony Network, Mohammed Kaif, one of the finest fielders of his time, said looking forward to upcoming World Cups in next 3 years span, India would face enough difficulty if they continue to leak runs due to sloppy fielding as sloppy fielding and too many dropped catches had put India at the receiving end in the recently concluded limited-overs leg in the Australian tour.
Experts have criticized a flurry of misfields by the tourists. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif have suggested that the lacklustre approach to fielding may come back to hit India hard in next upcoming matches.
“So many dropped catches and misfields cannot be part of the game. They are doing it too much. If India has to win the World Cup, which is going to happen in October in India, then if the fielding is like this, then you will lose the big matches,” said Kaif.
India fielded poorly in the T20I series as most of their players, including captain Virat Kohli, were guilty of dropping easy chances. In the final T20I won by Australia at Sydney to avoid a whitewash, there were as many as 3 dropped catches and several misfields. It is hard not to look past the repetitive errors and lacklustre fielding from Virat Kohli’s side in the recent past, despite several stunning efforts that were on display too.
Mohammad Kaif Recalled His Days When Dropping A Catch Of Senior Player Led Them Practicing Hard The Next Day
Mohammad Kaif stressed on the fact that these mistakes cannot be considered a standard as he recalled his playing days and revealed that senior bowlers like Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath or Zaheer Khan would reprimand fielders when they dropped a catch. He said that they needed to practice for extra two hours on the next day for fielding lapses during their days.
“This Indian team has young bowlers, so when the catch is dropped the poor guys go back to the run-up. The bowler does not say anything but thinks it is part of the game. But it is not. If we had dropped a catch of Ajit Agarkar, Srinath or Zaheer Khan’s bowling, then even if they stare at the fielder, then you need to practice for extra two hours the next day,” said Kaif.
“If a senior bowls and you misfield, then it makes a lot of difference. The pressure comes on its own even if they don’t say much and just look at you once, as you realise that you have made a mistake,” Kaif added further.
Mohammad Kaif who represented India from 2000 to 2006 played only 13 tests and 125 ODIs. He was regarded as one of the best fielders in an Indian cricket team, along with all-rounder Yuvraj Singh who would be positioned on point and Mohammad Kaif in the covers. It was a tough call for the opposition batsmen to score past this pair as the standard of Indian fielding improved significantly when they took the field.