Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir refutes to the idea that BCCI should consider employing a foreign coach after current head coach Rahul Dravid’s mandate expires after the completion of the ODI World Cup 2023 on the home soil.
The Men in Blue had a remarkable campaign under his coaching in the marquee event but fell short of the well-deserved title on home soil. Throughout his tenure as head coach, Rahul Dravid played a great role in the team’s success and they achieved some historic feats under his leadership.
With an almost entirely Indian coaching staff, Gautam Gambhir shared his reflections on how the Men in Blue managed to reach the 2023 World Cup final and explained that the absence of presentation skills is one of the main reasons why many believe a foreign coach would do better but feels that Indian coaches can put in the work on the ground to get the best out of the players.
“We saw how well India played in the World Cup and that shows that we don’t need anyone from the outside. Our problem is we are probably not able to present that well, use the laptop, or speak English that well. We don’t have those corporate skills, but we know how to put the hard yards on the field and do the groundwork,” Gautam Gambhir said on Sportskeeda.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the extension of contracts for Dravid and other Team India support staff, as they renewed the contracts of Team India’s support personnel, including batting coach Vikram Rathour, fielding coach T Dilip, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, as they would keen to help India win a ICC trophy as their last championship victory came in 2013 Champions Trophy.
Emotions Are Very Important In Sport – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir believes that emotions play a crucial role in sports because they motivate players and their coaches to give their absolute best for the team. He senses that no foreign head coach will possess the same level of zeal that Rahul Dravid did when serving as an Indian head coach.
“We have had so many great players who have won World Cups so if they want to come into the coaching setup, India and Pakistan need to back them as coaches. Emotions are very important in sports because when you wear that shirt, you know how much blood and sweat you have given to reach that level. If India don’t give extension to Rahul Dravid, I hope some Indian coach replaces him,” Gautam Gambhir added.
Rahul Dravid’s second stint with Team India will begin on December 10 in South Africa, with three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and two Tests. After that, there will be a five-match Test series against England at home before the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies/USA.
