Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad, on Wednesday (December 22), said that he has no issue with Rohit Sharma replacing Virat Kohli as India’s ODI captain, but was critical of the BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly, for not handling the issue properly and professionally.
Azad recalled the infamous Ganguly-Greg Chappell controversy that broke out when he was the Indian selector and Ganguly was asked to step down as India captain in 2005.
The former selector said that Ganguly should have understood Kohli’s situation having gone through a similar situation when Chappell was India's head coach and that the BCCI President should have informed Kohli of the decision much earlier and tackled the situation properly.
Azad told News18: “I remember how Bishan Singh Bedi was dethroned, how Sunil Gavaskar was dethroned. Venkataraghavan was in his flight and when he landed, he was replaced as captain. At least, Sourav should have realized through his own experience.”
He further added, “I remember I had defended him when Greg Chappell was the coach and he was dropped as captain. He should have learned from his own example and spoken to Virat much earlier. I am not saying Virat is a special case. Yes, he is a special batter and a special cricketer. He leads by example and leads by example.”
Azad also felt that the entire captaincy episode should not have reached the public eye.
He said: “I feel that it should have been done in a more proper manner. BCCI should have been a little more professional on a cricketing front and with Sourav at the helm, especially when a former captain had tweeted about a rift, speculation that had been going on.”
He signed off by saying, “These things should not come out in the public and a captain who has given so much, Virat Kohli, should have been informed well in advance.”
