Indian pacer Varun Aaron on Thursday (June 11) slammed those young cricketers who are forgetting their roots and are not respecting people who have contributed in their success.
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"Today I see a lot of youngsters forget where they've come from and their roots and what their journey has been ever since they were kids. A youngster say 21 or 22, gets a massive IPL contract will go straight from wearing certain normal clothes brand to certain branded clothes and think that's his identity," Varun said while speaking in the third session of 'Mind, Body and Soul', a platform brought forward by The Royal Rajasthan Foundation, in association with NS Vahia Foundation & McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School Affiliate).
"Yes, he's worked hard for that contract but as an individual one should never forget their roots. I see youngsters not being able to separate between what's real and what's not and they tend to forget respect for the people who were part of their journey.
"When I made my Ranji Trophy debut, I wasn't scared of my seniors but I had a lot of respect for them. I wouldn't swear in front of them and talk discreetly to my counterpart. Nowadays I think that line of respect between seniors and juniors is really getting blurred," he added.
In order to sustain at the top, the 30-year-old Aaron feels a sportsperson must be resilient.
"For me, with the kind of injuries I've experienced, I have probably needed to be more resilient than the average cricketer. End of the day you can either look at it as a struggle or as great learning.
"I've had eight stress fractures in my back and two have broken off, so I can easily look at it as a struggle but honestly, to me it isn't. I feel I'm really privileged to be one of the few to play Test and One-day cricket for India, representing the country at the highest level, getting to play the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.
Varun, who made his international debut in 2011, has played 9 Tests and as many ODIs for India, claiming 18 and 11 wickets respectively.
"I feel it's just different perspectives, I personally look at it as a journey from which I've learnt a lot. These setbacks teach you how temporary things could be and to value everything you have, not just the materialistic things but also relationships you make along the way," he said.
"I feel the individual going through something like this should just stop and see what they could learn and not just feel low and disappointed. I look at it and feel that there are people who have it way tougher than what I have and that I am really privileged to be in the position I am in."
Under normal circumstances, Varun Aaron would have played for Rajasthan Royals in the 13the edition of Indian Premier League but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the BCCI to suspend the cash-rich event until further notice.
(With IANS inputs)
