"Gary Kirsten had set up a rule and asked us not to read newspapers" - Harbhajan Singh recalls how India overcame media pressure in 2011 World Cup
Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recalled Team India head coach Gary Kirsten's advice to the players that helped stave off media pressure during the 2011 World Cup.
The side led by MS Dhoni overcame the weight of expectations heaped upon them playing at home to emerge triumphant in 2011. Fast forward 12 years, and the Men in Blue are in a similar situation of being heavy favorites entering the 2023 World Cup to be played in India.
While social media wasn't as prevalent back in 2011, it is presently at an all-time high, leading to several players buckling under pressure. Harbhajan also advised the players to stay away from social media on their phones to stave off the pressure of a home World Cup.
"Those times (2011) were different. You could get away by not reading newspapers. Now, everything is there on social media. Gary Kirsten had set up a rule and asked us not to read newspapers," he told India Today.
"If you don't perform well on a particular day, you will see what people will do on social media. I would advise players to stay away from social media. Don't see your phones for the next two months," he added.
Harbhajan played a vital role in India winning the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 50-over World Cup.
The 2011 World Cup victory remains India's only ICC title on home soil, defeating Sri Lanka in the summit clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
On their path, Team India also upstaged the then three-time defending champions Australia in the quarter-final and arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final.
"Sachin Tendulkar had headphones on so he could not hear anyone" - Sunil Gavaskar
Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar spoke about the ticket pressure on the players in a home World Cup and urged them to block all the outside noise despite being easier said than done.
Earlier today, star batter Virat Kohli requested fans to refrain from asking him for tickets on his Instagram handle for the upcoming World Cup in India. Kohli will be one of only two Indian players, along with Ravichandran Ashwin, to be part of the 2011 and 2023 World Cups at home.
Gavaskar recalled Sachin Tendulkar always wearing headphones to block the outside noise and the pressure derived from it.
"You cannot avoid pressure. When you order room-service, they might ask for tickets. Someone might ask you about a hundred in the next game. Block youself from everything which is not going to be easy. Sachin Tendulkar had headphones on so he could not hear anyone," he told India Today.
"They would all be wishing him but the chatter of a hundred could add to the pressure. It's not easy to do that in your room but you can block yourself when you go out," he added.
India have struggled to overcome the weight of expectations in ICC events over the past decade, with their last title coming in the 2013 Champions Trophy. They kickstart their 2023 World Cup campaign with a high-pressure clash against five-time champions Australia in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.