Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has once again come under the radar for snubbing Kuldeep Yadav from the Indian XI. Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has slammed the coach’s obsession with all-rounders.
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav played for India in the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand but has since been snubbed. Kuldeep was left out of the playing XI for the opening match of the ODI series against Australia in Perth.
Ravichandran Ashwin urges Gautam Gambhir to rethink his team selection methods
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin once again made fun of Indian coach Gautam Gambhir. He urged the Indian coach to reconsider his approach to player selection and shun his bias of having maximum all-rounders in the team.
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These remarks were made after Ashwin found no logic behind the snub of Kuldeep Yadav, who had performed stunningly for India in all formats.
“I can understand why there are two spinners playing in the team, along with Nitish Reddy. They want that depth in batting, because Axar and Washington can bat, but bowling remains key (also focus on bowling). In these big pitches, if Kuldeep cannot bowl with much freedom, then where will he bowl? And there will be overspin, which will give him more rebound,” he said.
Ravichandran Ashwin slammed Kuldeep Yadav’s snub
Ashwin clearly looked frustrated at not understanding Gautam Gambhir’s excessive obsession with batting depth. He pointed out that Kuldeep Yadav, being one of India’s best bowlers, should have made the team, especially after picking 17 wickets in the Asia Cup and another 12 in the red-ball series against the West Indies.
“See, I understand they’ll talk about that batting depth, but if it’s going to help you win games, then the hitters should be able to take responsibility for it. If they’re playing extra batters, then they’re protecting the batting lineup again,” he said.
“I will always say: play your best bowlers. Don’t pick a player just because you want to extend your batting. Kitne all-rounders chaiye aapoko (How many all-rounder bowlers do you want)? You already have three. Even after having Nitish in the team, if you can’t play your best bowlers, then I can’t get him at all,” Ashwin looked disgusted with the excessive obsession with bowlers versatile.
Ashwin stresses on Kuldeep Yadav’s mental difficulties
R Ashwin finally warned Gautam Gambhir that denying Kuldeep Yadav a place in the playing XI would lead to questioning his value in the team. He further pointed out that it would crush one’s mentality and lead to mental difficulties.
“I feel like when a player is left out, he asks himself the question: ‘Am I the reason the team is going to lose?’ Kuldeep may have the same question in mind. If after such a good performance he gets dropped and someone else gets a chance, he might think he is the problem of the team,” said Ravichandran Ashwin.
“Whether he is or not is different, but it causes a lot of debate internally. It can be very overwhelming, and not many players can handle it. Keep direct communication with him,” he added.
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