Kapil Dev’s 'don’t play' advice for cricketers isn’t too far from the truth

The hue and cry surrounding the observations made by former India cricket captain Kapil Dev about pressure in sport and what he made of it has resulted in many hackles being raised, not least by sports psychologists and many others.

The World Cup winning captain, one of the doyens of Indian cricket, always had a rather simplistic way of playing the game, and for him, the best way to deal with any perceived pressure is to not to play. While the criticism has been intense and widespread , Kapil Dev does have a point – if it is too hard to handle, get out of it.

For one, people need to understand how Kapil Dev speaks. He largely speaks from the heart, and says it the way he sees it. In his day, when he was playing, ‘pressure’ wasn’t really a word that was used in sport, not in India for sure.

People like Kapil Dev, an earthy no-nonsense individuals, do not make that fine distinction between pressure and pleasure. He claims he played the game for the love of it, and if tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) add to your burden, mental or physical, “don’t play”, as he candidly puts it.

We hear stories of Kapil Dev’s heroics as a batter and a bowler time and again. We know of that one match in the 1983 Prudential World Cup against Zimbabwe where India were 9/4 and 17/5, looking at another inglorious exit from the tournament, when Kapil Dev went out and hammered 175 not out and India went on to win the match and tournament.

Was there pressure? Of course. But Kapil Dev’s interpretation was to take on the challenge and do the most obvious thing – hit the cricket ball out of the park and turn things his way.

One can of course argue that things were different in those days. The media focus wasn’t as much as today and social media wasn’t a beast that had come alive. But that didn’t take away from the demands of the game and only those who not just handled it but actually thrived on the challenge were the ones who succeeded.

The same Kapil Dev had once hit four consecutive sixes to ensure that India avoided follow-on in a Test match. It was a challenge, and it was met.

Sure, Kapil Dev’s vocabulary isn’t the best, and his derision for all things “American” did show up in his comments. But somehow, those from his generation, or a few more after, can still identify with getting into a tight situation and still getting through without cracking.

He spoke of how his teachers would hit him first and ask questions later. This isn’t new either and all of us who have been through that phase in those times has encountered this is some way or the other. But it didn’t make us any weaker. On the contrary, we were toughened up.

Not at any stage saying that physical punishment for children is right. Just that those who have endured it, haven’t all ended up as mental wrecks.

Mental fatigue and stress are a thing for sure, but Kapil Dev didn’t really feel it, as per him. So that is his take. And he has every right to it without being castigated.

It is only of late that we have seen Indian athletes actually talking about mental and physical pressure and even taking time off to get out of it all.

So, isn’t that exactly what Kapil Dev said? If you can’t handle it, leave.

Look at New Zealand Cricket’s decision to allow their players to choose between the Pakistan tour and the IPL in 2023. It is simply a reflection of what Kapil Dev said – choose what you can do or cannot, don’t try to do too much and get pressurised.

We can understand that one of Indian cricket’s stalwarts being a little derisive about the IPL and asking players not to play won’t go down well with franchisees, the cricket board or the broadcasters.

Nor will his quizzical approach to mental pressure gladden the psychiatrists and psychologists, since they claim know better.

But if he thinks that playing cricket should be all about enjoyment, who are we to argue? Whether that applies to other walks of life, sure, even he isn’t an expert there. But in cricket, he can say his piece, and who are we to argue with that?

Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News ,  India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .