sports – anoop.blog

Xavi Hernández… I am sure it is a familiar name to anyone who loves football. He was part of the iconic Spain team that won the World Cup back in 2010—the very same year I got married.

Throughout his career, Xavi played as a central midfielder. He wasn’t particularly fast, nor was he a flashy dribbler. Yet, he served Barcelona and the Spanish national team at the highest level for years.

So, what made Xavi so special?

The main role of a midfielder is to win the ball from the opponent and distribute it to teammates in attacking positions. But Xavi did this differently than everyone else. He did it through scanning.

I grew up watching Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, and Robin Singh field for the Indian team. They were the ones who completely changed the way Indian fielders moved on the ground. It was truly the start of a new fielding era for us.

However, if we look at who changed the perception of fielding on a global scale, it wasn’t them. So, who was it?

Think back to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Brisbane. There was an iconic, horizontal, flying dive from backward point to run out Pakistani batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Then, fast forward to 1998 at Edgbaston during the Emirates Triangular Trophy. Another unbelievable, flying catch sent England’s Robert Croft back to the dressing room.

Tag: sports

The Art of Scanning: What Xavi Hernández Taught Me About Technical Success