Former India batsman Yuvraj Singh said that Indian cricket doesn’t have as many senior players who could be the right kind of role models for youngsters to look up to anymore.

Speaking in response to a question from current limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma during an Instagram live chat, Yuvraj felt that the line between a senior player and a youngster has become thin now, which has resulted in players saying and doing things that he felt were unthinkable during his playing days.

“I just feel there are very fewer guys to look up to and I feel that a sense of respect towards seniors, that has become a thin line now,” Yuvraj said. “Koi bhi kisiko kuch bhi keh deta hain (anyone can say anything to anyone).

“I think juniors, because of social media, party scenes, these things, we could not even think about that in our time. Because we had that fear that if we do some mistake, our senior will tell us that do not do this, this is not right.”

Yuvraj went on to say that players don’t take as much responsibility for their behaviour as they did during his playing days. Referencing the infamous comments made by Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on a TV show, which he said “could not have happened in our time”, Yuvraj remarked: “When I came into the team or when you (Rohit) came into the team, our seniors were very disciplined. Obviously there was no social media so there were no distractions.

“There was a certain behaviour that we boys had to carry, how they talk to people, how they talk to media. Because they were the ambassadors of the game and India.

“So that is what I had told you guys. After playing for India, you have to be more careful about your image. But I feel the third generation, there are only you two seniors, Virat and you, who are playing all the formats, rest of the guys are coming and going.”

Rohit, for his part, said that he does whatever he can to make youngsters feel comfortable. “When I came into the team, there were so many seniors. I think I was the only youngster, alongside Piyush Chawla and Suresh Raina,” he said. “The atmosphere is light now. I keep talking to the youngsters, the five-six of them.

“I speak to Rishabh a lot. There was so much scrutiny on him and he got worked up. Media should also think before writing about him. But scrutiny will be there as long as you are playing for India.”

Yuvraj also rued the fact that India’s international stars don’t play as much domestic cricket now, and felt that youngsters were lured by the attraction of playing limited-overs cricket, as a result of which they don’t give the long form the value it deserves.

“Sachin [Tendulkar] paaji told me once, ‘if you perform on field, everything else will follow’. I was at NCA once and I interacted with the younger lot. I felt most of them did not want to play Test cricket, which is real cricket. They are happy playing one-day cricket.

“I feel even the players who have already played for India should play domestic cricket when they are not on national duty. It would give them valuable experience of playing on different surfaces around the country.”