NEW DELHI: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that current head coach Gautam Gambhir does not have the ‘right demeanour nor the words’ when talking with media and the BCCI should ‘keep him away’ from such duties.
Ahead of Team India’s departure for the Australia tour (second batch), Gambhir on Monday interacted with media, where the 43-year-old, is his usual avatar, spoke with brutal honesty and straightforwardness.
And one such answer of Gambhir raised a few eyebrows when he said, “What Ricky Ponting has to do with Indian Cricket? I think he should think about Australian Cricket,” on a reporter’s query on Australian great recent comments on Virat Kohli‘s poor form.
In another incident, Gambhir also dismissed theories that he is under pressure after India’s 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand and asked back a reporter, “What difference does social media make in my life, and for anyone’s life? When I took up this job, I always knew that it was going to be a highly difficult job and a highly prestigious job as well.”
Supposedly referring to the incidents, Manjrekar in a social media post said that BCCI should not put Gambhir in front of media, pointing out that skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar can be better choices.
In the presser, Gambhir also put up a stout defence for under-pressure skipper Rohit and star Kohli, saying they are still ‘incredibly hungry’ to perform and will bounce back in Australia.
“There are incredible people in the dressing room who have done a great job,” Gambhir said.
Kohli has already arrived in Perth and the first batch of players that left India on Sunday evening will land in Australia this evening.
The first Test starts in Perth on November 22.