Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has unleashed a scathing attack on coach Gautam Gambhir, holding him responsible for creating an atmosphere that reportedly compelled cricketing stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin into retirement.
“If the senior players are there, if Ashwin is there, if Rohit is there, these guys have played so much cricket; they are much more established than the head coach or the other staff. These guys will raise questions if they don’t agree with a point. You just made sure that these guys are not there, basically,” Tiwary critically stated during an interview with Inside Sport.
Tiwary further observed, “I have observed that since this coach took on the role, a lot of controversies have arisen. Many things that are happening are not good for Indian cricket. I believe that since the time he has been the head coach, Ashwin has taken retirement. Rohit and Virat have also done so. Other things have happened, such as players being unexpectedly added to the squad and then being straight into the starting XI. We have seen that Gambhir has not been consistent.”
He continued, “I believe the circumstances and the atmosphere that have been created, along with the pressure on these players—Rohit and Virat have been outstanding servants of Indian cricket. They have taken Indian cricket to new heights. The players who give their heart and soul, we have seen, have given their everything.”
“If these players feel that things are affecting their image and they are no longer wanted in the dressing room, then they might consider retiring. I believe they want to play. I think Gambhir won’t take such a big call of not having these two individuals because, in the white-ball format, no one can deny the fact that these two have been outstanding. It would be a really poor decision if Gautam doesn’t include these two in the scheme of things for the World Cup,” Tiwary added, expressing his concern for the future lineup.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are confirmed to be part of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia. Shubman Gill has been named as the replacement captain for Rohit Sharma in that series.