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Former Indian cricketer slams Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir for criticizing Kris Srikkanth over Harshit Rana’s selection.

Former India fast bowler Balvinder Sandhu criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir for his remarks on Kris Srikkanth over Harshit Rana’s selection for the ODI and T20I series against Australia. Srikkanth was unhappy with Harshit’s inclusion.

However, hinted that Gambhir might have favoured him because they worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Gambhir, defended his choice and hit back strongly. Sandhu then shared his thoughts on the issue in his Mid-Day column.

“One can choose to agree or disagree, but there’s no reason to rebuke him publicly. Yes, Srikkanth has his own flamboyant style of speaking, just like his batting, and that’s exactly what we love about him. It’s true that sometimes former players may go a bit overboard and face trolling on social media, but that doesn’t take away their right to speak about the game they’ve served with such passion.“

“Their views should be taken in the spirit in which they are offered — with respect and an open mind. As head coach, it’s always wiser to focus on the battle on hand rather than opening too many fronts and losing sight of the main goal. I was genuinely pained to read Gautam Gambhir publicly rebuking Srikkanth’s views and speaking harshly about a former player in the media,” he wrote.

“Having coached Gautam at the NCA when he was an U-19 player, I’d like to remind him to stay focused on improving the team’s performance and winning major tournaments. That’s the best way to silence unfair critics. Every coach faces criticism — fair or unfair — during their tenure. It’s part of the job.”