Gambhir slams team management for treatment of Pant
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has slammed the team management for its comments on young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant. The southpaw has endured poor form and hasn't been careful enough at the crease. On repeated occasions, Pant has thrown his wicket away after some careless shots. Gambhir slammed the statements made by the management and said a youngster shouldn't be handled this way.
Pant averages just 22.90 in ODIs and 20.40 in T20Is. He endured a poor tour of Windies last month. In T20Is, he got scores of 0, 4 and 65*. In ODIs, he registered a duck and 20. Then in the Test series, Pant got scores of 24, 7 and 27. In the ongoing series against South Africa, he scored four in the second T20I.
Recently, India's head coach Ravi Shastri had called for Pant to play sensible cricket and stated he is letting the team down. Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour then called for Pant not to be reckless at the crease. He said youngsters should understand the difference between fearless and reckless. Chief selector MSK Prasad said back-ups are there and the players are being groomed.
Gambhir slammed the comments made by these personalities and called it disappointing. "Personally, I have always backed Sanju Samson ahead of Rishabh for wicketkeeper-batsman's role but it is disappointing to see the team-management using words like 'from fearless to careless', 'rap on Rishbah's knuckles' and 'need for a backup of Rishabh'," Gambhir wrote in his column for The Times of India.
Gambhir said this is no way to handle Pant and he is now playing for survival rather than scoring. "This is no way to handle a young human resource. Everyone wants him to play 'sensible' cricket. I don't know what that means. What I do know is that the boy is now playing for survival rather than scoring runs," added Gambhir.
Pant needs to work hard and apply himself. He has been getting numerous chances and he cannot afford to waste them. If he fails to get going then Team India should look for another option. Perhaps, domestic cricket could help Pant gather form.
