Indian team bus driver reveals interesting stuff about Dhoni, Kohli, Tendulkar, Raina
Mumbai: Virat Kohli-led Team India are having a hectic tour currently in England.
After having played limited-overs matches in Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, London and Leeds, Team India travel to Birmingham to switch to the longer formats of the game, with the Test series starting on August 1.
While the Men in Blue have been busy travelling from city to city, it is the team bus driver Jeff Goodwin who ensures that they reach each and every venue on time.
In an interview with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he spoke about the ‘professional’ Indian team.
Say 👋 to Mr. Jeff Goodwin.#TeamIndia's bus driver gives interesting insights about various cricket teams who have been his passengers all these years. P.S Jeff loves this Indian Cricket team. Find out why...
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2018
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"I like the lads, there are all friendly. They are great to get on with but they are very disciplined. There is a changing way in cricket. In my times, it has changed so much. Australia will be drinking all the time after the game and staying inside the changing room till 2AM in the morning but now, not as much,” he said.
“This team, particularly India, have never known a cricket team as professional, come out after the game so fast. This team is the best one," he added.
Goodwin, who has been a team bus driver to various teams since the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999, revealed how Suresh Raina came to help him during his wife’s illness.
"Raina, few years ago in Leeds, he gave me his shirt to auction off. I've never forgotten that,” he said.
Goodwin also went onto say that his son used to drive some of the teams, and added that Sachin Tendulkar used to sit next him.
My son was driving the teams. He drove India and Tendulkar used to sit there (beside the driver) and he used to say your daddy is a big star. By the end of the tour, my son became a big star as well. He is only 21. Got a nice letter from the Indian government thanking me and him," he added.
He also goes onto reveal the story behind his nickname.
"In 2004, when I was driving Australia, Darren Lehmann was then making drinks and he was a player then and he says 'You...we like you. We will give you a nickname and he was telling me all the players' nicknames and after a few days, he went, you are Popeye and everybody calls me Popeye and I've even got a tattoo of Popeye now,” he continues.
