Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir said that Team India should move on from their search of finding a quality fast-bowling all-rounder like Kapil Dev. He believes that they should groom players at the domestic level instead of doing that at the international stage.
The emergence of Hardik Pandya seemed to have solved the problem but his fitness issues have kept him out of the side for a while now and the management has failed to find his replacement.
No doubt, they have given opportunities to youngsters in Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, and recently Venkatesh Iyer was included in India’s squad. But they didn’t give them a longer rope after players failed to create the impact that was expected from them.
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Venkatesh Iyer did a decent job for his side in the T20Is against New Zealand. He was then selected for the ODI series against South Africa, where he played two matches and bowled in only one match.
The southpaw has now been dropped from India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against West Indies.
Speaking to Sports today, Gautam Gambhir said that India should accept that they don’t have quality fast-bowling all-rounders currently and should move on. He added that they are trying to create something which they can’t and that is the main problem.
"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," Gautam Gambhir said.
Gambhir said that India should focus on grooming the players at the domestic level instead of doing it at the international level. He stressed that players should be groomed in a way that when they represent their country they should be ready to perform straightway.
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"I have always believed that international cricket is all about delivering and not grooming someone. Grooming happens in the domestic and India A levels. When you represent your country, you should be ready to go out there and perform straight away," he said.
Expressing disappointment with the treatment of Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, and Venkatesh Iyer, Gambhir said the stakeholders should focus on developing all-rounders in the Ranji Trophy and should give them a long rope in international cricket.
"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 and stick with them. Don't keep changing them quickly. We have seen that with so many guys like Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, and now Venkatesh Iyer,” he said.
Team India will next be seen in action when they take on West Indies in the ODI series, starting 6th February.
(Sports Today inputs)
