When Shane Warne had to ‘fix’ Mohammed Kaif’s ego in a hotel reception in IPL 2008

An attitude adjustment

“It was Mohammad Kaif who, unknowingly, brought our attention to something that needed fixing straight away,” wrote Warne in his 2018 autobiography, ‘No Spin’.

“When we checked into the hotel as the Rajasthan Royals group, everyone got their room key and disappeared. Minutes later, while I was chatting with the owners in reception, I noticed Kaif go to the front desk and say, ‘I am Kaif?’ ‘Yes,’ said the receptionist.

‘How can we help?’ ‘I am Kaif.’

“I went over. ‘Everything alright, mate?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I am Kaif?’

“‘I think they know who you are, mate, what do you mean? What are you looking for?’ ‘I have got a little room like everyone else.’

“I said, ‘Right, okay. Do you want to upgrade yourself or something?’ ‘Yes, I’m Kaif.’ I knew exactly what he wanted: ‘I am a senior, an Indian international player, so I get a bigger room.’ Without trying to be funny, mate,’ I said, ‘everyone gets the same room. I’m the only one with a big room because I have to meet with people?’ ‘Oh. And off he walked.”

Warne also revealed how the Royals did not end up having a lot of other major Indian names in the squad back then, barring Kaif.

“It got interesting because the Royals philosophy was to give young kids a go. The biggest name Indian player we’d signed was Mohammad Kaif – hardly Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni,” Warne wrote.

“What people didn’t understand was: why pay a massive $US650,000 for Mohammad Kaif? It was the auction process. If you missed out on two or three batsmen you wanted, you might get left with one you didn’t want so much, but have to buy him because there was a gap in your team to fill. You could be lucky or unlucky, pay under or over, depending on timing, demand and the vacancy that needed filling. It was what made the auction so exciting,” he added.