India vs Australia | We need more messengers like Virat Kohli, says John Gloster

While Kohli being the ideal hero for India has come under question after the “mean tweet” gaffe, one could hardly argue that the skipper has been the nation’s biggest inspiration for leading a healthy life. Former Surrey Country Cricket Club and the Bangladesh cricket team physiotherapist, Gloster weighed in on the same.

“It’s only taken one Virat Kohli to put up his hand and say, ‘I don’t eat junk food any more. I don’t believe in having aerated drinks.’ And the whole of India stops doing it. That’s unbelievable. We need more messengers like Kohli. Love him or hate him, he is a messenger for kids,” said Gloster in an interview, reported Scroll.

However, despite praising Kohli for his influence on an entire nation, Gloster was quick to criticize Kohli’s reported vegan diet something that Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has also taken to make a comeback in his career.

“There is enough evidence out there that most people who turn vegan reverse that within one or two years because their bodies are not able to sustain a certain nutritional status. Vegans remove all animal products completely from their diets. Therefore, you are removing four of the most crucial vitamins for human life – Vitamin A, B group, D and K.

"These are all fat-soluble vitamins, which are derived from and delivered to the cells by fat. So if you are removing all fats, which come from animal products such as dairy and eggs, then long-term you are going to struggle. Artificial sources aren’t as good as natural ones,” he added.

The introduction of the yo-yo test by the BCCI had also caused a huge debate in the nation stating if such a rigorous approach was at all needed for a skill-based game. However, stating that Yo-Yo is not much relevant in Tests as it is in limited-overs, Gloster said the process would be surely helpful even for the most skilled persons.

“People who are less physically abled to do these tests, it may be a bit unfair to set a benchmark that is beyond their reach. For those individuals, for me, it’s about improvement. Every time you do that test, you have to improve. Because if you don’t, you are not disciplined in the preparation for it. Ultimately, it’s a skill-based sport but you can only execute that skill first of all if you are not fatigued and you’re not injured. So the best way to not be fatigued and injured is to have a good fitness base,” he said.