Playing cricket at the highest stage remains the ultimate dream for all players. Representing one's country and donning the national jersey is a moment of pride for all budding cricketers. But it comes at a price. With the viewership of cricket increasing by the day, the margin of error for cricketers begins to lessen, adding more pressure on cricketers with social media being the platform where players are often targetted. And these come amid the constant need to maintain consistency with the presence of competition within the team and also with cricket calendars getting tighter by the day. Players hence have often complained about the pressure of playing cricket at the highest level. Legendary India captain Kapil Dev on Sunday made a statement on the very same, but fans were left angered as they felt that the former cricketer was rather mocking mental health.
Speaking at the ‘Chat with Champions’ event, Kapil Dev admitted that he never understood words like "pressure" and "depression", mocking them as "American words" and opined that if players feel there is a pressure in playing IPL, then they should rather opt out. He then added that even students of class 10 and 12 now-a-days feel the "pressure", which again, he admitted that he never found logic in it.
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"I hear a lot of times on TV that there's a lot of pressure on players to play in the IPL. Then I only say one thing, don't play. If a player has passion, there will be no pressure. I can't understand these American terms, like depression. I'm a farmer and we play because we enjoy the game, and there can't be any pressure while enjoying the game," Kapil said.
“I remember going to a school where students of class 10 and 12 told him they face lot of pressure. I said, 'So also face pressure!'. You people sit in air-conditioned rooms with fees paid by your parents, teachers cannot beat you up, then were is this pressure coming from? Ask me what pressure is all about. Teachers used to beat us up and then would ask where we had gone. Students need to convert this into pleasure and fun, pressure is a very wrong word.” he added.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Kapil Dev's viral video on ‘pressure’ and mental health
{{/usCountry}}“I remember going to a school where students of class 10 and 12 told him they face lot of pressure. I said, 'So also face pressure!'. You people sit in air-conditioned rooms with fees paid by your parents, teachers cannot beat you up, then were is this pressure coming from? Ask me what pressure is all about. Teachers used to beat us up and then would ask where we had gone. Students need to convert this into pleasure and fun, pressure is a very wrong word.” he added.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Kapil Dev's viral video on ‘pressure’ and mental health
{{/usCountry}}Kapil Dev played131 Tests and 225 ODIs in his illustrious career and had led India to their very first World Cup haul back in 1983. He is also the first Indian to claim more than 400 Test wickets and is still regarded as one of the best all-rounders the country has ever produced. But the legend played in an era of no social media.