Legendary Sunil Gavaskar stated on Sunday that while every player aspires to be a role model as they advance through the ranks, it is only human to occasionally fall short of expectations.
Gavaskar stated that social media platforms disseminate facts and messages to the public far more quickly than in the past, without mentioning any particular incidents that have occurred in this year’s Indian Premier League.
“In the heat of the moment things happen, it is not that you teach youngsters anything, anybody can snap, (and) that is what happens,” PTI quoted Gavaskar telling reporters in Mumbai.
“Everybody tries to be, once you start getting up there, to be the best role model that they can be. That is just how you’re brought up. You want to be the best role model. (But) all of us are human so all of us, some time will fail that standard. Today it is in the public domain a lot sooner than it was in the past,” he said.
Gavaskar compared cricket players socializing with one another following the conclusion of IPL matches to the custom of players getting together for drinks and conversation following a day’s play in a Test match during his playing days.
“During the time that we played, there used to be a tradition. The team that was batting that day would carry a case of drinks to the other team’s changing room,” he said.
“And at the end of the day, giving about 20-odd minutes time for everybody to cool down. You (would) do a post-mortem on the day’s play as well. Out of the 16 players in your party, almost 10-12 would go into the other opposition room and sit next to each other.
“There would be talk about, obviously about a case, but there would also be talk about, (or) we would be asking them — if you are a tourist — which are the places to go to eat, which movies (to watch),” he added.
Gavaskar continued, “You see that in the IPL, at the end of the match both teams coming in and talking to each other. That, I think, this (is the) new tradition of people going and shaking hands and all that.”
