Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain was asked to speak on the issue of the Indian ODI captaincy debate and he insisted that there must be transparency in communication between the players and the board.
Controversy erupted in Indian cricket earlier this month when Virat Kohli was removed – rather unceremoniously – as the captain in the ODIs after he stepped down as T20I skipper after the 2021 T20I World Cup concluded.
Shahid Afridi: The ODI Captaincy Debate Could’ve Been Handled In A Better Way
While opener and vice-captain in limited-overs, Rohit Sharma was named the new skipper in the fifty-over format, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly later said that the board had requested Virat Kohli to not step down as T20I captain in October and that once he did, the selectors weren’t inclined on having two separate captains in white-ball formats.
A week after his removal as captain, Virat Kohli said in a press conference that no such request was made from the board, putting him and the BCCI at loggerheads. The speculation is rife since Virat Kohli’s explosive comments and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has since maintained considerable silence, insisting that the whole situation will be dealt with “internally.”
“This could’ve been handled in a better way. I’ve always believed that the role of a cricket board is very important. The selection committee should efficiently communicate their plans for any particular player – ‘this is our plan, we believe it is better for us. What do you think?’ – something along these lines,” Shahid Afridi said.
“If you communicate these things via media, there will be issues. Talk face-to-face, and we might have solutions. This won’t be solved if you keep dragging it. There should be no communication gap between players and PCB, or any board for that matter,” said Shahid Afridi.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has weighed in on the controversy over Virat Kohli being replaced by Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain. Shahid Afridi said that the episode could have been handled in a better manner by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), blaming a lack of clear communication for the row.
Rohit Sharma To Lead In The 3 ODIs Following The 3 Tests If He Is Fit
While Rohit Sharma is now India’s full-time captain in limited-overs, Virat Kohli continues to lead India in the longest format of the game. The Test captain will return to action on December 26 when India takes on South Africa in a three-match away series. Meanwhile, the new T20I and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the 3 Tests due to an injury but will be the skipper in the ODI leg if he is deemed fit to play.
Many former Indian cricketers and experts feel that the communication between Virat Kohli and the BCCI should’ve been better. Some have even hit out at board president Sourav Ganguly for getting in between the matter, saying it should’ve been sorted between the selectors and the skipper.
Indian opener Rohit Sharma was also appointed as Virat Kohli’s deputy in the longest and oldest format of the Test before being injured and ruled out of the 3 Tests against the Proteas.
India’s Test squad for South Africa tour:
Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Md. Siraj.