The appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian cricket team has sparked considerable debate and criticism, particularly following a series of disappointing results.
Former cricketer Manoj Tiwary has been vocal about his concerns, outlining three primary reasons why he believes Gambhir’s appointment was a mistake.
1. Lack of Experience in Coaching
One of the most significant criticisms directed at Gambhir is his limited experience in coaching at the international level.
Tiwary pointed out that while Gambhir had success in the Indian Premier League (IPL), leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two titles, this does not necessarily translate to success on the international stage.
Tiwary emphasized that Gambhir has not demonstrated sufficient experience in coaching formats like Test cricket and ODIs, which require a different approach and strategy compared to T20 cricket.
He suggested that more experienced coaches, such as VVS Laxman or Sairaj Bahutule, would have been better suited for the role, given their extensive backgrounds in coaching and understanding of international cricket dynamics.
2. Poor Results Under His Tenure
Since Gambhir took over as head coach, India’s performance has been underwhelming. The team suffered a historic loss to Sri Lanka in an ODI series, marking the first time they had lost to Sri Lanka in 27 years.
Additionally, India faced a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home and lost the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.
These results have raised serious questions about Gambhir’s effectiveness as a coach and his ability to inspire and lead the team to victory.
Tiwary pointed out that results speak for themselves, and the current trajectory suggests that Gambhir has not been able to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor, Rahul Dravid.
3. Allegations of Favoritism and Hypocrisy
Tiwary has also accused Gambhir of favoritism in player selection, particularly regarding his preferences for certain players from KKR, such as Nitish Rana and Harshit Rana.
He alleged that despite other deserving players like Akash Deep performing well, they were overlooked in favor of Gambhir’s preferred choices.
This favoritism undermines team morale and raises concerns about the integrity of selection processes within the squad.
Furthermore, Tiwary labeled Gambhir a “hypocrite,” citing past comments where Gambhir criticized foreign coaches for lacking emotional connection to Indian cricket while he himself has brought on foreign support staff like Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel.
This inconsistency between his words and actions has led to skepticism about his leadership principles.
