Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to make major changes to the cricket team following India's recent defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Gavaskar was clearly unhappy with India's loss and also demanded an end to the star culture in Indian cricket, referring to the poor form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma throughout the series.
India recently lost the Test series to Australia 1-3 and were eventually dropped out of the race for the World Test Championship final as well. The Men in Blue have been the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the last four occasions but Australia have finally managed to win it after a decade.
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Sunil Gavaskar calls for an end to 'star culture' in Indian cricket
While speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar described the next few days as important and called for an end to the star culture in Indian cricket. Gavaskar also asked the players to be available for every series instead of opting for rest.
“I think the next eight to 10 days will be crucial for Indian cricket to take a good, honest look at itself. Most importantly, the star culture has to end. Complete commitment to Indian cricket is non-negotiable,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
“Players must make themselves available every time unless there is a genuine medical emergency. “If someone is not fully committed, they should not be considered for selection,” he added.
In a stern warning to players, the former India opener wants them to be available for every international assignment after the embarrassing defeat to Australia recently.
“We don't need players who are partly here and partly somewhere else. It's time to stop coddling anyone. The recent results have been disappointing, we were supposed to be in the World Test Championship final but we didn't make it.”
Bad returns for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Sunil Gavaskar was clearly referring to India's senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when he was talking about the star culture in the team, although he did not mention any names. Recently, Kohli and Rohit had disappointing returns with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Kohli scored 190 runs in five Tests at an average of 23.75 while Rohit scored 31 runs in three Tests at a miserable average of 6.20. There were speculations about them retiring after the series but both players have not given any hint of hanging up their boots so far.
“Stop acting like a fan” – Sunil Gavaskar for BCCI
Sunil Gavaskar called on the BCCI to take major action after India's recent defeat. He asked the board to ensure that players prioritize their country first, otherwise they cannot guarantee a place.
“The cricket board has to stop acting like fans and put their feet down. They have to tell the players that Indian cricket comes first. It's either full commitment to Indian cricket or other priorities, and you can't have it both ways. If Indian cricket is your priority, only then should you be selected,” observed Gavaskar.
It seems unlikely that the BCCI will take any drastic action after India failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final. Rohit Sharma has already made it clear that he will not retire and has vowed to play in the near future.
India's next Test series will be played in June on tour of England. It remains to be seen whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will make it to that tour after facing a lot of problems with the moving ball in the last tour in Australia.