Mohammad Kaif has often been termed as one of the best fielders India has ever produced as he had the incredible skill to pounce on the cricket ball like a tiger. His heroics on the field had led India to several famous triumphs at the world stage. Now, spending his time as a cricket commentator or expert – Kaif feels Team India has good fielders but none of them is a ‘complete package’ like Yuvraj Singh and he himself.
With no cricketing action currently going on due to Coronavirus pandemic, Kaif has been entertaining his fans on social media. During the live interaction with YouTube channel ‘SportScreen’, he shared his views on the debate of who is a better white-ball cricketer – Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma?
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Calling it a tough choice to pick between two modern-day stalwarts, Kaif said, “If you ask me, I will love to watch Rohit Sharma bat. Both have long careers ahead of them and both are exceptional batters. Virat Kohli is on another level. His record in Test matches is amazing. He is brilliant in ODIs and T20s too. But if I have the option, I would love to watch Rohit Sharma bat (in white-ball cricket).”
He further elaborated, “He has elegance. He always has a lot of time at the crease. He never seems to be in a rush. He bats with ease. When he times the ball, it travels so fast. There are few batsmen who take you to the cleaners but you don’t get to realize that he is putting in a lot of effort.”
Asked about his take on Indian fielding compared to the times when he and Yuvraj would stand at extra cover and point, Mohammad Kaif outlined the lacking in the current set-up.
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Mohammad Kaif said, “To be a complete package, you need to be a good catcher, you should be able to hit the stumps often, you should be able to run fast, you should have the right technique to grab a moving ball. When we were playing, me and Yuvraj made our mark as good fielders. Today, you will find a lot of good fielders in the Indian team. A person who can catch in the slips, who can take a catch at short-leg, can field in long-on boundary by running fast .that package I think is missing.”
The 39-year-old Kaif said that Ravindra Jadeja is becoming better with age but India’s slip catching has still left a lot to be desired.
