India head coach Gautam Gambhir promised open communication with all cricketers, particularly young players, who are vying for a spot in the Indian team, and emphasized that the team management would not "drop" anyone during his tenure, but would instead focus on selecting the best possible XI.
"It will always be a challenge because there is so much (in Indian cricket) and ultimately, you can only select XI. But if you can select an XI, it can do the job for you (that's all that matters). And I have been a firm believer that we don't drop anyone. We select anyone. So there's a way of looking at things," Gambhir told Jio Cinema.
Youngsters like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhurv Jurel, who performed admirably in the England Test series earlier this year in the absence of regulars like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, were not given a chance in the ongoing two-match Test series against Bangladesh since the seniors returned to the squad.
Gambhir said none of them were "dropped". It was just the question of selecting the best possible XI for the team.
"A lot of people from outside might think that he's been dropped, but it's not about dropping someone. It's about selecting someone else to do the job for the team. If the other person can do the job for the team, then people will have to wait for their opportunities. That's how cricket goes. Sometimes, you have to wait for a much longer period than you should. Once you get the opportunity, you should be absolutely ready to grab it,” he added.
Gambhir stated that the goal is to communicate as a unit, since he, skipper Rohit Sharma, and top selector Ajit Agarkar understand how it feels to be dropped from the team.
"One thing I can assure you is that there will be very clear and straightforward communication. I think the coach, the captain, and the chairman of selectors should be on the same page rather than having different communications with different people. That is not how we plan to work. I know how vulnerable a sportsman can be.
You literally live on the edge if you don't get paid or if you get dropped... I know how tough it is for a player. I have experienced it, Rohit has experienced it, and the chairman of selectors must have experienced it. So, when you have experienced such things, you try and help the guy by giving him the right message and that is what's gonna happen this time,” Gambhir added.
The ongoing second Test between India and Bangladesh has not seen any play since lunch on day one due to rain and a wet outfield.
