1983 WC Winner Gives Blunt Verdict On Gambhir's War Of Words With Srikkanth

Former Indian cricket team fast bowler Balvinder Sandhu slammed head coach Gautam Gambhir for his comments on Kris Srikkanth regarding Harshit Rana's selection in the ODI and T20I series against Australia. Srikkanth was not happy with Harshit's inclusion and went on to hint at some favouritism, given the pacer's association with Gambhir as part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) setup. In response, Gambhir defended the decision and launched a scathing attack on the 1983 World Cup winner. In his column for Mid-Day, Sandhu shared his views on the entire episode.

"One can choose to agree or disagree, but there's no reason to rebuke him publicly. Yes, Srikkanth has his own flamboyant style of speaking, just like his batting, and that's exactly what we love about him. It's true that sometimes former players may go a bit overboard and face trolling on social media, but that doesn't take away their right to speak about the game they've served with such passion."

"Their views should be taken in the spirit in which they are offered — with respect and an open mind. As head coach, it's always wiser to focus on the battle on hand rather than opening too many fronts and losing sight of the main goal. I was genuinely pained to read Gautam Gambhir publicly rebuking Srikkanth's views and speaking harshly about a former player in the media," he wrote.

Sandhu also had some advice for Gambhir as he asked the India head coach to stay focused.

"Having coached Gautam at the NCA when he was an U-19 player, I'd like to remind him to stay focused on improving the team's performance and winning major tournaments. That's the best way to silence unfair critics. Every coach faces criticism — fair or unfair — during their tenure. It's part of the job."

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