Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to bring major changes in the cricket team after India's recent loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Gavaskar was clearly unhappy with India's loss and also called for 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 by 1-3 and eventually got knocked out of the race for the World Test Championship final. 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 talking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar termed the next few days as important and called for an end to star culture in Indian cricket. Gavaskar asked the players to be available for every series instead of opting for rest.
“I think the next 8-10 days are crucial for Indian cricket to take a good, honest look at itself. Most importantly, the culture of stardom must end. Total commitment to Indian cricket is non-negotiable,” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“Players must be available at all times unless there is a genuine medical emergency. If one is not fully engaged, one should not be considered for selection,” he added.
In a stern warning to the 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 part here and part elsewhere. It's time to stop pandering to anyone. Recent results have been disappointing – we should have been in the final of the World Test Championship, but we didn't make it,” he reckoned.
Poor returns for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Sunil Gavaskar was clearly referring to India's senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when he talked about the star culture in the team, though, he did not take 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 paltry average of 6.20. There has been speculation about their retirement after the series, but both players have not given any indication of hanging up their boots so far.
“Stop acting like admirers” – Sunil Gavaskar to BCCI
Sunil Gavaskar has asked the BCCI to take major action after India's recent defeat. He asked the board to ensure that the players prioritize their country first, otherwise they cannot be assured of a place.
“The cricket board needs to stop acting like admirers and put their foot down. They need to tell the players that Indian cricket comes first. It's either full commitment to Indian cricket or other priorities, you can't have it both ways. If Indian cricket is your priority, only then you should be selected,” observed Gavaskar.
It seems unlikely that the BCCI will take any severe action after India's failure to qualify for the World Test Championship final. Rohit Sharma has already made it clear that he is not retiring and promises to play in the future.
The next Test series in India will be played in June in the England tour. It remains to be seen whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make it to that tournament after having a lot of trouble with the moving ball in the recent tour of Australia.