Former India coach Ravi Shastri says that he is pained to see the Mumbai team’s poor performances in domestic cricket in recent times after the team’s inability to reach the knockout stages of the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Speaking as a chief guest on Sunday at the prize distribution function of the Police Shield at the Police Gymkhana on Marine Drive, Shastri said: "I might have been coach of India, traveling around the globe, and also when I was doing television work here and there, but I keep an eye on Mumbai cricket because I'm a proud Mumbai player who likes to win. He plays it fair, he plays it hard, but he plays to win.”
"And when I sometimes see scoresheets that show Pondicherry beating Mumbai, not that they are an ordinary team, any team can beat any team on a day, but it tells you that there is a problem somewhere. When you see a team like Himachal cruising through to the final, without any big names, and Mumbai not getting through and it has been for some time now, then you start asking questions," he said.
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Shastri, who despite retiring from international cricket and dealing with poor knees, still managed to lead a young Mumbai side to a Ranji Trophy win in the 1993-94 season, mentioned that he feels that some of the Mumbai players have become complacent lately.
"I get the feeling a lot of people who play for Mumbai these days take things for granted. They think that when we have a Mumbai stamp, then we will win, but this doesn't happen. You have to go and respect the game. Respect the work ethics, respect where you have come from, and then go out and play as a team, that is the Mumbai cricket team, with pride," he asserted.
However, he was all praises for Suryakumar Yadav who played for the Parsee Gymkhana in the Police Shield and slammed a double ton against Payyade SC in the final.
"I think the best thing I liked was to see senior players from Mumbai coming and playing this tournament (Police Shield). Someone like Suryakumar Yadav, who is with Indian team now, with the Mumbai team, when you have such players, coming and playing these tournaments, it only gives confidence to the other players to emulate them," added Shastri.
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"And from Surya's point of view, I promise you, the 249 he got, the time he spent in the middle, the three days he spent on the field will stand him in good stead in bigger cricket when he plays later on in the (next) year," said Shastri.
Suryakumar Yadav donated his Best Batsman award cash prize of INR 5000 to the three groundsmen at the Police Gymkhana.
(Times of India inputs)
