‘There’s a dearth of role models in current Indian team’: Gautam Gambhir

[MenInG]

Agreeing with his former teammate and India’s 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, former India opener Gautam Gambhir said there is indeed a dearth of role models in the current Indian side. Highlighting the fact that when he played Tam India had the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Anil Kumble, Gambhir said it is important to have senior players who can guide the youngsters through a rough patch.

“I agree with Yuvraj that there is a dearth of role models in the Indian team currently, like in the 2000s, we had Dravid, Kumble, Laxman, Sourav and Sachin to guide the team. It is important to have senior players around you who can help you when you’re going through a rough patch. Right now, I don’t think there are enough seniors in the Indian camp, who will set aside their self-interest to help youngsters,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

Yuvraj had recently said there is not enough role models in the current Indian team besides Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, adding that the line of respect for seniors has become thin.

“The difference I find between the team of ours and now is during our time seniors were very disciplined. Social media was not there so no distraction also,” Yuvraj said, answering to India’s limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma’s question on what is the difference between the team he played with, winning 2007 T20 and the 2011 50-over World Cups, and the team now under Virat Kohli.

“We had to carry ourselves in a certain way. We used to look upto our seniors as how they are behaving, talking to the media and so on. They used to lead the way. I learnt a lot. That is what we learnt from them and tell you guys also,” said India’s 2011 World Cup man of the tournament, regarded as one of the best white-ball cricketers of all time.

“In this team, seniors are you (Rohit) and Virat (Kohli) who play all three formats. I just feel since social media has come, there are very less guys to look upto. That sense of respect for seniors...it has become a thin line,” said Yuvraj who called time on his illustrious career last year.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...tam-gambhir/story-EXEBfCJh5Iot7aXKar5qnO.html

 

[MenInG]

Think Gambhir needed one too when he was playing!

 

[Swing]

Think Gambhir needed one too when he was playing!

There's no fixing a rude person like him except for when they are in their teen years.

On the matter of role models he is right. There are plenty of players that the next Indian generation has to look up to. This is something that matters because a team that wins inspires more people to pick up the game.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

Never shy of an opinion or two is GG. An interesting character.

Big match player he was for India i.e. 2007 WT20 final and 2011 WC final. Delivering and helping his nation become world champions. Part of an Indian team that topped the Test rankings in 2009 too. Twice won IPL as Captain for KKR in 2012 and 2014. He's done a fair bit in the game it can be said.

 

[Rajdeep]

Some of the ex Indian players have become bit of a whiner lately. Gambhir, Yuvraj, Harbhajan - all of them are not able to come to the terms that their career is over, especially the last two. Its always "Hamare time me yeh hota tha...woh hota tha" with these guys.

Yuvraj said he never got support when Dhoni and Kohli were captains, only Ganguly supported him. Lol wut? The only reason Ganguly supported him because he was a young upcoming talent back then. Under Dhoni he was a senior in the team and unfortunately was no longer the same player post cancer. That 2014 T20 WC final loss can be attributed to some very poor batting by Yuvi. Even Kohli supported him a lot by picking him for RCB (when no franchise was interested) and by bringing him back into national side. He failed on both occassions - in IPL for RCB and in Champions trophy when couldnt pick a normal leg spin from a rookee bowler in the finals. I loved Yuvraj Singh at his peak and one of the biggest match winner India produced but he need to now focus on post retirement assignments rather than whinning.

Bhajji also took a dig at Ashwin saying pitches were not so spin friendly back when he was playing. Lol. The fact is after his doosra was banned he was a darter and Ashwin is a way superior spinner.

Gambhir's issue is different. He is not angry because he is not in the team. Infact, he is happily retired and a MP now. But he has got issues with MS Dhoni and not able to tolerate that he is still playing for India.

That is why I respect Sehwag and Zaheer the most from the last lot. You will rarely see them making any "In our time" comment and draw parallel with current team. Infact, Sehwag was treated most unfairly and had few years of cricket left in him when got dropped. A player of his calibre never got an opportunity to play a final farewell test.

As far as role model is concerned, Virat Kohli is perhaps the most influential player of this era. Not only in terms of batting but his work ethics, fitness and dedication towards the game is exceptional. I dont think there is ever a bigger role for any young cricketer than him.

 

[Saj]

Seems like some former Indian players are catching the whining habit of their Pakistani counterparts.

 

[MP2011]

Seems like some former Indian players are catching the whining habit of their Pakistani counterparts.

There are only 3-4 of them like Gambhir, Bhajji, Yuvraj and Sehwag although the latter doesn’t whine, he is just not too bright. And these 4 have this habit of putting their foot in mouth though I’m surprised by Yuvraj’s outbursts.

You’ll never hear the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, VVS, Kumble, Zaheer, Ganguly etc open their mouths unnecessarily. Also add Dhoni to this list.

 

[HIC]

Seems like some former Indian players are catching the whining habit of their Pakistani counterparts.

Just look at the pattern, all three are Northies Punjabi's and they are almost similar to Pakistani bro's from Punjab.

PS: Im also from North India (Haryana) so dont blast me with North-South Bias

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I know some of my younger family members who enjoy cricket have found MS Dhoni, Kohli and Jadeja to be decent enough 'role models'

Could probably add rohit sharma to that list too actually

 

[MenInG]

Veteran India bowler Harbhajan Singh on Thursday reacted to Yuvraj Singh’s remarks that there is dearth of “role-models” in the current Indian team. Former India allrounder Yuvraj last week had said that India captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma are only few of the role models in the team. “In this team, seniors are you (Rohit) and Virat (Kohli) who play all three formats. I just feel since social media has come, there are very less guys to look upto. That sense of respect for seniors...it has become a thin line,” Yuvraj had said in an Instagram Live chat with Rohit.

Harbhajan was questioned by news agency IANS on Yuvraj’s remarks, and the off-spinner said that he did not feel the same till he was with the team. “See every team has a different culture. Pehle ke time kuch aur the (times were different before). Now these are different times. What Yuvi has said, I don’t know in what context he said these things, but I played till 2016 and I never felt anything like this,” Harbhajan said.

The 39-year-old added that Yuvraj can give a better answer as to why he felt so because he knows the context in which he said it.

“Now I haven’t been in the team since 2016 so I cannot comment on this current bunch. But till the time I was there, I never felt anything. Yes the team has changed a lot since 2016. So maybe Yuvi can give you a better answer to this as he knows the context,” Harbhajan said.

Harbhajan’s last appearance for India was in 2016 T20I match against UAE in Dhaka on March 2016. He has taken 417 wickets in 103 Tests at an average of 32.46 in his career. He has also taken 269 wickets in 236 ODIs at an average of 33.35. The right-arm bowler has also played 28 T20Is for India and has picked 25 wickets at an average of 25.32.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...indian-team/story-9nBgJWxUqGwjvO6Ce2LEkK.html

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Gautam Gambhir certainly will be a role model for those cricketers who want to become politicians after taking retirement. He should release a book containing all the controversial statements he has given so far. Those cricketers will get a lot of help by reading that book.

 

[MenInG]

Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Suresh Raina, have been quite vocal about the need of better communication from the selectors recently. The cricketers have highlighted the necessity of dealing with senior cricketers in a better way in Indian cricket. On Thursday, while discussing the matter, former India openers Gautam Gambhir, Krishnamachari Srikanth and former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad were involved in a debate, in which emotions, at times, got the better of the former cricketers.

Gambhir said the time has come for BCCI to make it mandatory for the captain and coach to have a vote in the selection process.

“The time has come when captain needs to be selectors as well. The captain and coach should be selectors. The selectors should have no say in the playing XI. The playing XI has to be captain’s responsibility. But at the same time the captain and the coach should be given the voting power because they cannot shrug off the responsibility of the selected team” Gambhir said in Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

MSK Prasad said the captain has always been consulted in the selection process but according to the laws of Indian cricket, he does not have a vote.

“Captain has always had a say in selection process. There is no two ways about it. He does not have a vote, according to our bylaws,” said MSK Prasad.

Gambir also slammed the MSK Prasad-led selection committee for not finding a solution to India’s No.4 problem, which according to him cost dearly in the World Cup in England.

“Like it was with Vijay Shankar or whoever got picked in the World Cup. Some of the decisions were absolutely shocking. Probably not picking Ambati Rayudu in the World Cup. They couldn’t find the no. 4. One position they had to identify and they could not do that. Look at what happened to Ambati Rayudu - you picked him for two years. Two years, he batted at no. 4. And just before the World Cup, you needed a 3-D? Is that the kind of statement you want to see from a chairman selector that we need a 3-D cricketer?” Gambhir added.

MSK Prasad replied: “Let me clarify, at the top, everyone was a batsman - Shikhar, Rohit, Virat. There was nobody who could bowl. And someone like Vijay Shankar, who bats at the top order, could be helpful with the ball in the English conditions.”

India had picked Vijay Shankar as their designated No.4 for the 2019 ODI World Cup because of his abilities to bowl medium pace. Prasad had then termed him a ‘3-D’ cricketer for his abilities to bowl, bat and field, which did not go down well with Rayudu.

“Not supporting Gautam or belittling you MSK but there is a huge difference between international cricket and domestic cricket,” said Srikanth, who himself was the chairman of selectors till 2013.

“I agree with Chika that there is a difference but you also have to understand that experience cannot be the only parameter all the time. You may miss out on players in the process,” said Prasad, who has been replaced by former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi as the new chairman of selectors.

“Your chairman of selectors needs to be an experienced cricketer, who has played enough international cricket, who has seen the ups and downs of international cricket. The more you play, the better you understand players. Chika has played a lot of international cricket, he has captained India, he knows what a player goes through. When I got selected there was someone else as the chairman, when I got dropped there was someone else as the chairman. Then you came in, I could fight with you, I could walk up to you and discuss things, so that is the relationship you want between players and selectors,” Gambhir added.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ion-process/story-osmAIIdUJTnqSiQwnjFyRM.html

 

[Ab Fan]

Gambhir is not the best person to take suggestions from and is a bit like Sehwag(in the sense that he speaks whatever he feels) but I agree with his point that there is a lack of role model in the current Indian team.

It is a team which can achieve a lot more but is way too distracted because of glamour, fame and money. The coach seems happy with team performance, is busy with his drink and like to hype their players a lot.

Virat is a great cricketer but not the most inspirational person out there. This team has forgotten how to win overseas and unless we don't learn, it's all easy money picking.

 

[Ab Fan]

Coming to the World Cup semi final 2019, neither Pant nor Vijay and not even Rayudu would have won India the match. At best, they would have played solid cameos which Pant did to his credit.

After India were three down or four down, the only person who could have won the match was MS Dhoni but he was sent at no.7 position when the required rate was almost 7.0. Dhoni takes his time initially and by the time he got going, the required rate was around 9-10.

This is what Bevan used to do during his era. The target would be 250-260 and he would come to bat at 20-3 and then bat normally holding one end and then rotating strike, by the time we enter into the mid-40s, Bevan would take his team home.