Former Australia Cricketer Hopes Indian Dressing Room "Is Not Separated" By Change In Leadership
After Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as India's white-ball captain, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg hoped that the Indian dressing room is not separated by the "slight division between these two particular players".
The decision to appoint Rohit Sharma as the new captain of India's white-ball team has received mixed reactions from the cricketing fraternity. Several current and former players have continued to argue whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did the right thing by replacing Virat Kohli as ODI captain ahead of the tour of South Africa. Speaking on the whole episode, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg hoped that the Indian dressing room "is not separated" by this change in leadership.
"I think it's a blessing in disguise. I just hope when they go on their next tour, that change room is not separated by this little slight division between these two particular players," Hogg said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
The former Australia cricketer insisted that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should embrace their respective roles, which will help Indian cricket in moving forward.
"Both of them have to embrace it, get in that changing room, and take Indian cricket forward," stated Hogg.
The 50-year-old said that the kind of talent India have in store, they have the potential to dominate Test cricket for the coming years.
"Indian cricket right now, with the talent they've got in batting and bowling should dominate world cricket over the next five years at least.
Hogg further stated this step "is a blessing in disguise" for Kohli, adding that India's Test skipper can now focus more on his batting in the longest format of the game.
"I think this is a good move. Kohli should just embrace it and relax about the whole situation and should concentrate on captaining the Test team. So basically, you've got Rohit Sharma just concentrating on the team he wants in white-ball cricket and Virat Kohli focusing on Test cricket. It takes a lot of pressure off you.
"I think this is going to be better for Virat Kohli. It is going to improve his performances which have slightly dropped off slightly in the last couple of years when he's been under pressure while captaining all three teams," he concluded.
India Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Brad Hogg