Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram talked about the rumors of Gautam Gambhir taking up the Team India head coach role after Rahul Dravid. He said that the Kolkata Knight Riders mentor is the best candidate for the job but stated that the southpaw needs to take the call because it’s a time-consuming job.
The Indian head coach post is up for grabs and one of the prime candidates who is seen to be front-runner to take up the role is Gautam Gambhir. There also have been various reports that the Kolkata Knight Riders mentor has been approached by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Gautam Gambhir, who was known as an aggressive player during his playing days, is still in the same mindset even after working in the coaching setup of the teams in the Indian Premier League. He mentored Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons before taking up the same role for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.
Gautam Gambhir guided the Lucknow Super Giants to two playoffs and also achieved the same thing with Kolkata Knight Riders. His coaching style has been one for everyone to cherish as he allows the players to be fearless and brings the best out of them.
With India struggling to win the ICC title since 2013, many feel that Gautam Gambhir, who won two World Cups for India, could be a perfect successor to Rahul Dravid and might also help Team India to win high-pressure games.
Wasim Akram while talking about the same stated that Gautam Gambhir is an intelligent person and will bring the quality which isn’t part of the India team. While highlighting the aggressive nature of the KKR mentor, he said that he would bring the same aggression with him. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he explained:
“Yeah, he is the best candidate. It depends on whether Gautam accepts it. He has also left politics because it took too much time. It is a time-consuming job. He is a very intelligent person, so he realised it’s not easy. He has two lovely daughters. GG is very simple. Straightforward. Not a difficult person. But he speaks clearly, and bluntly and doesn’t think twice, a quality that isn’t part of Indian cricket culture.
“In our culture, we say things that don’t offend people. But GG is someone who, if he doesn’t like something, will say it to your face. That’s his quality and that’s why everyone likes him. He gets aggressive at times, but that’s him as a person. He will bring that same aggression in the team, but it all boils down to whether he agrees to take up the role.”
Ashish Nehra has done well – Wasim Akram on other candidates for India’s head coach
Wasim Akram also talked about the other potential candidates for the Team India head coach role. He feels that Ashish Nehra might also serve well as he is a people person. He also talked about VVS Laxman, who is the NCA head. He added:
“I have heard some other names too. They have a lot of experience. [Ashish] Nehra has done well; he is a people’s person. Everybody loves him; they want to be around him. And Laxman is another very good choice. He is the NCA head, where Dravid came from after serving as India’s Under-19 coach.
“So, they have a system in place. If you ask me, any of these three Indians are good options. Stick to your own people. They have been doing well. Rahul did brilliantly and before him, Ravi [Shastri] had set an example. So yeah,” he concluded.
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