'Bit Of Friction' Between Gautam Gambhir And Ajit Agarkar? Ex-India Star Makes Stunning Remark
Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes that there is a "bit of friction" between head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar at the moment.
- Dinesh Karthik believes that there is a "bit of friction" between head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar
- The selection calls over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson during the England series have split opinions
- "A bit of friction between the chief selector and head coach," Dinesh Karthik said
Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes that there is a "bit of friction" between head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar at the moment. Both of them have been facing a lot of criticism following India's T20I series losses against Ireland and England. Even the selection decisions involving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson during the England series have split opinions, with many ex-cricketers blaming the duo for not handling the situation well. Karthik said that it looks like the confusion over team selection came from a difference of opinion between Gambhir and Agarkar, adding that such a situation is never ideal for the players or the team.
"A bit of friction between the chief selector and head coach. I feel Agarkar has long-term plans, and the current coach is saying, 'You know, I want to win every game I play.' Hence, the confusion we see unfolding before us. Is it ideal for the players? Definitely not," Karthik said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
"I mean, if you are from India, imagine the bench strength you have? Everyone is thinking that if I have a couple of bad games, anyone can replace me. On top of that, when this happens, it's definitely a situation that India needs to be aware of and rectify as soon as possible," he added.
Karthik explained that while Agarkar is someone who focuses on the long term, Gambhir wants to win every single game. In that situation, Karthik believes that the BCCI needs to sort out the issues in order to prevent further confusion.
"I think the chief selector Agarkar has an eye on the future, and he wants to see the group of players around. Meanwhile, Gambhir might be thinking, 'I want to win every series because it's my name on the line.' So, maybe there's a conflict; it looks like that," said Karthik.
"There's one selector who wants to build the squad, and there's another who is saying, 'I want success because every series I play, my name is on the line along with the captain,'" he added.
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir
Sanju Samson