Jeff Goodwin (centre) has been driving teams since the 1999 World Cup.
The Indian team is currently on a three-month-long tour to England. Having completed the limited-overs leg of the tour, the visitors are set to take on the hosts in a five-match Test series starting in Birmingham from August 1.
The BCCI recently released a video on its website where they interviewed Jeff Goodwin - Team India's bus driver. In the video, Goodwin who has been driving cricket teams since the 1999 WC, talked about his experiences travelling with different teams while revealing a number of interesting trivia about cricketers and their camaraderie. (India tour of England Full Coverage)
Goodwin starts off by talking about his son who drove the Indian team with Sachin Tendulkar in it. "My son was driving India and I think we did Australia as well. He drove India and Tendulkar used to sit there (besides the driver) and he used to say: 'that (Sachin) 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 reminisced.
Goodwin also shared an incident when Indian batsman Suresh Raina once helped him out during his wife's illness: "Raina, a few years ago in Leeds, when my wife had a bit of an illness and he gave me his shirt to auction off. I've never forgotten that."
Regarding his experience of travelling with the current Indian team, Jeff said: "(MS) Dhoni is a fantastic wicketkeeper and Mr. (Virat) Kohli sits at the front laughing up men. But (Yuzvendra) Chahal calls me an old man."
Goodwin pointed out the fact that with cricket getting more professional in general in the past few years, he normally doesn't have to wait for long after the match for players to return to the bus - the way he used to before.
"I like the lads, there are all friendly. They are great to get on with but they are very disciplined. There is a change going on in cricket. In my times, it has changed so much. Australia will be drinking all the time after the game and staying in the changing room till 2 in the morning but now, not as much,” he said.
In this context, Jeff feels that the Indian team is the most disciplined amongst all the international sides at the moment. “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 said.
Lastly, Goodwin revealed the secret behind his nickname - Popeye.
"In 2004, when I was driving Australia, Darren Lehmann was like 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 said while showing his tattoo.
