During their playing days, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi and ex-India opener Gautam Gambhir were known for their fierce rivalry both on and off the field. Even after retirement, they grabbed headlines on quite a few occasions for their jibes at each other on social media.
The feud between Afridi and Gambhir started during a high-voltage India versus Pakistan clash in Kanpur in 2007.
In a recent interview, Afridi opened up on his rapport with Gambhir, as the former Pakistan cricketer said the current Indian head coach has had issues with many players and not just him.
“It was not just with me that Gautam had it. It happened with other players as well, players from Australia, South Africa, England, etc. But the thing between me and Gautam was highlighted by the media," Afridi told Geo News.
“Honestly speaking, I had tweeted that India should come to Pakistan and on that some Indian media declared me part of the Taliban," he added.
Gambhir was named India’s head coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in June. The southpaw was appointed with a lot of expectations as he mentored KKR to the IPL title earlier this year.
His stint with the Men in Blue began on a bitter-sweet note as India won the T20I series 3-0 and lost the ODIs 0-2 on the tour of Sri Lanka. Subsequently, India suffered a humiliating 0-3 defeat in the home Test series against New Zealand under his guidance.
Sharing his verdict on Gambhir, Afridi said: “Gautam has been the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders and won, which means he has delivered something that the team won. Now has the responsibility of coaching the Indian team. Coaching the national team is a very big responsibility. He has been appointed recently. Every system takes time to take effect."
“If it is any person, I say give him time at the least," he further remarked.
Under Gambhir, the Indian team is currently touring Australia for the five-match Test series. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently poised at 1-1 after the first two Tests.
