Another Ex-India Star Comes Out In Gautam Gambhir's Defense: 'Passing Remarks...'

Sandeep Patil has joined a group of former cricketers to rally behind men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir amid demands for his sacking from the role in Tests. Patil said that Gambhir can’t be the only one blamed for India’s series whitewash against South Africa, and more questions should be raised on the squad selection.

Gambhir is the first Indian head coach to oversee two home whitewashes in Tests — against New Zealand last year and then against South Africa, with losses in Kolkata and Guwahati. He blamed it on the team’s transition and inexperience, while others have questioned his management’s obsession with all-rounders and spin-friendly wickets.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has also copped a bit of criticism for ignoring the likes of Karun Nair

and Sarfaraz Khan for youngsters like Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Reddy.

“I’ve noticed that the whole of last week that everybody has been passing comments about Gambhir,” Patil told The Times of India. “However, those who have donned the national cap, taken responsibility as a head coach, haven’t spoken about it. Nobody is talking about the combination of players who have been selected. You played on a bad pitch, you lost. You played on a good pitch, you lost. What can the head coach do? It is wrong to point fingers at only one person,” he added.

Although Ravi Shastri, one of India’s most successful coaches also slammed Gambhir’s selection choices, Patil said that most who are criticising the incumbent do not know what his job entails.

“It’s really surprising to me that those people who have not been an India coach and gone through that process are passing remarks left and right on Gambhir,” he said

Patil also said that he knows Gambhir for a long time, offering confidence that he’d turn it around with time.

“When Rahul Dravid became an India coach, he had a bad start… However, he finished on a high. Duncan Fletcher had a bad start… Gary had a bad start and Anil Kumble endured a rough period… We must allow the head coach, selectors and the players time to settle down. You cannot jump the gun. It’s very easy to say: ‘Nikalo isko,’ it’s not prudent to sack somebody like that,” he said.