In a stunning attack on current Indian cricket stars, Kapil Dev, the hero of India's World Cup victory in 1983, has said that India's chances of winning the World Cup were blighted by the lack of commitment from the senior cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Speaking to a leading Indian new agency in London, Kapil, who coached the Indian team from October 1999 to August 2000, said: "Any team aiming to win the World Cup needs dedicated people ready to die on the ground – to give more than 100%. It has to be a committed lot rather than stars."

He was particularly critical of the attitude of the senior players. "No doubt, Tendulkar is one of the topmost players India have produced but you can't change his attitude, can you? Ganguly is one of the best left-handed batsmen India have produced. But can you change his attitude? If you can do that, India can have a different team.

"Sometimes you do get the impression that they are in their own world, that they are not part of the team unit. All of them are in their own places extraordinary cricketers. You take Sachin, Sourav, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble. When you see their personal records, I think nobody can match them. But they should come together as a team and then the younger boys can get moulded," Kapil opined. "They are committed to play but the commitment to win – that's what is lacking."

He had harsh words for Ganguly's inability to motivate his players. "The commitment from the leadership is lacking. A captain has to lead from the front. It is important for the captain to make sure that everybody gets along. That is called team spirit."

Kapil felt a change of coach was not the solution. "The boys have to have the thirst and hunger within themselves. Then you can always help from outside."

He was also critical of the amount of cricket being played today, which forced players to pull out of some matches. "Why are cricketers needing to take breaks? That means they are playing too much cricket. When a cricketer needs a break, the team needs a break. When I used to play, we did not need a break. We wanted to play."

He said the onus was on the Indian cricket board to step in and stem the rot. "It (the board) is an institution and the institution will have to sit together and plan what they should do for cricket in our country. There is always an alternative. Nothing is impossible. There is nothing you cannot change for your country."

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