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India will face Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, February 23.
Mohammad Kaif reacts after India suffer 1-3 defeat in Border-Gavaskar Trophy. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Former Indian middle-order batter Mohammad Kaif took to X on Sunday, January 5, to share a video in which he claimed that the Indian team has become a white-ball bully and the team’s humiliating 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be forgotten if the Men in Blue beat Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy match next month. The high-voltage match between India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, which is making a comeback after eight years next month, is set to take place at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23.
“23 tareek ko Pakistan ko hara kar saari waah waahi aap loot loge (After beating Pakistan on February 23, you guys will take all the credit),” Kaif said in the video, which is now going viral on the internet.
According to Kaif, India needs to build a strong Test side, and for that, players have to learn how to play on turning tracks.
“Everyone will say that we are a champions side in the white-ball. But if India wants to win the World Test Championship (WTC), we need to build a strong Test side. We have to learn how to play on turning tracks; in Australia we will have to learn to play on seaming conditions. The truth is that we are just white-ball bullies. We are lagging too far behind,” he added.
The former India U-19 World Cup-winning team captain feels that if India wants to win the WTC title in the future, then players have to give importance to domestic cricket.
“If we have to win WTC, then players will have to give importance to domestic cricket. They need to play on the turning tracks; they will have to practice on the seaming tracks; otherwise, we will not be able to win.”
Kaif also said that the 1-3 loss in Australia should be taken as a wake-up call.
“This 1-3 loss should be a wake-up call. We need to pay more attention to Test cricket. It’s not just Gautam Gambhir who is at fault. All players are equally to blame for this. All players get the chance to play in the Ranji Trophy, but it gets tiresome for the players, and they prefer to skip it. They don’t play Ranji Trophy; they don’t play practice matches. Then how will they become better players? And WTC will keep eluding you,” he said.
“I am telling you the truth. Whatever happened was right. Now it’s time to work on our Test cricket,” he added.
