Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged Indian selectors to stop chasing for the seam-bowling all-rounder for the sake of it. Gambhir believes that domestic cricket is the platform to groom a player, international cricket is all about delivery. He also hit out to the media for the obsession to search ‘next Kapil Dev’
Notable that India was never short of batting talents and they produced a number of quality spinners over the years. In recent years they developed a good crop of fast bowlers as well. But a quality seam bowling all-rounder is something which India is lacking over the years. Hardik Pandya was the one who gave hope to fulfill that responsibility but he has struggled with his form and fitness.
“If you don’t have something, accept and move on”- Gautam Gambhir
Speaking about the issue, Gambhir said that India should move on from the talks of getting an all-rounder like Kapil Dev.
“We keep talking about not having an all-rounder since Kapil Dev, to be honest. So move on and try to develop people at the Ranji Trophy, and once they get ready, get them in international cricket,” Gautam Gambhir spoke to India Today.
“If you don’t have something, don’t go for it. You have to accept and move on. Don’t try and create something which you can’t create; that is where the problem lies,” he added.
In absence of Hardik Pandya, India handed a debut to Venkatesh Iyer in South Africa but he didn’t make much impression. In the first match, the captain didn’t even trust him to bowl a single over. Gambhir pointed out the same as he believes if India wants a seam-bowling all-rounder, groom someone in domestic cricket or India A level, international cricket demands finished products.
“I have always believed that international cricket is all about delivering and not grooming someone. Grooming happens in domestic and India A level. When you represent your country, you should be ready to go out there, and perform straightaway,” Gambhir further explained.
Iyer has been dropped from the ODI squad for the series against West Indies however he retained his place in the T20I squad. Hardik Pandya will return to competitive cricket in IPL 2022.
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