Too Much Flexibility? Zaheer Khan Raises Concerns Over Gambhir’s Approach

Doubts about Gautam Gambhir’s approach with the Indian cricket team are growing. Former pacer Zaheer Khan has strongly criticized Gambhir, saying that while flexibility in the team is good, he is creating insecurity among players. Khan also warned that this could eventually backfire on Gambhir as India’s head coach.

Questions have been raised starting with selection and batting order. In the first ODI, Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the innings. Shreyas Iyer later revealed he wasn't there in the playing XI but came in due to Kohli's injury. There have been two basic questions here of why an in-form Iyer was left out from the No. 4 spot and why Gill was pushed from his natural opener's position.

The KL Rahul and Axar Patel experiment has also faced a lot of criticism. In both games, KL Rahul was moved down to the sixth spot, while Axar Patel, who usually bats later, was moved up to bat before Rahul. He also warned that too many changes might make the players feel unsure. In both games, KL Rahul was moved down to the sixth spot and Axar Patel was taken ahead to bat before Rahul.

“You’ve said that you’ve got to have the flexibility. Number one and two will be there but the others are going to be flexible. Within that flexibility, some rules also apply. There are certain protocols you have to follow. Certain communication needs to happen, which is gonna streamline things. Otherwise, you are creating insecurity, which, at some stage, will come back and hurt you. You don’t want it to be the case. So you’ve got to be prepared to deal with that situation,” Zaheer told Cricbuzz. 

Zaheer on Dravid vs Gambhir's Coaching Styles and Team Selection

When asked to compare Dravid's and Gambhir's coaching styles, Zaheer didn't take sides. He mentioned that players who have been doing well lately might favor themselves when trying to secure a spot on the team. Zaheer also stressed that clear communication among all team members is important to avoid hurt feelings and keep everything open and honest.

“That’s why I said recency bias is something very strong right now. The situation has become dynamic if you have to compare Rahul Dravid’s approach and Gautam Gambhir’s approach. You can say it’s good, bad or ugly, or you can say how do we adapt. Each individual is a part of this system, be it the senior management or the think tank, be it the players, be it the selectors. They will have to gauge it, and the entire system needs to be streamlined for the wheel to turn properly,” Zaheer added.

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