Best to hear out from both sides before drawing conclusions on Kohli-Kumble rift: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer turned broadcaster Aakash Chopra is known for the clarity of his thoughts on the game of cricket. Recently, he spoke at length about the ongoing issue of the fall out between Indian captain Virat Kohli and former coach Anil Kumble. Kumble recently stepped down from the post of the head coach of the Indian team and indirectly cited Kohli as one of the reasons for it. This saw many people blaming Kohli for Kumble’s unceremonious exit from the helm of team management.

Aakash Chopra, in a conversation with The Indian Express, noted that it would be better to come to conclusions after hearing out from both sides. It would be unfair to make villain out of individuals at this moment. He further added that the note addressed by Anil Kumble would surely leave a sour taste for Kohli. He believes that the situation could have been avoided.

“There have been instances where players have had their say and sometimes not had their say. Let’s not cherry pick cases. Maybe Kohli wanted Kumble too. A player doesn’t get everything every time they ask – sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t. That’s just part of team culture. Sometimes they comply and sometimes they don’t. In this case, it is best to hear both sides of the story before making villians out of people,” quoted Aakash Chopra.

“It could have been handled much better. As per Kumble’s statement, he was informed of Kohli’s reservations only recently. That leaves a sour taste in the mouth – that single factor. He would feel slightly hard done by. I do think he would have known about the rumours circulating though. Had attempts been made to appease things earlier maybe the episode could have been done better. It is understandable that a professional employment has to be created after the end of his contract,” he added further.

On inter-personal relationships

Aakash Chopra opined that there must be trust between the captain and the coach. If that is absent, it becomes tough for others to continue. He also noted that the nationality of the coach does not really matter. What matters is the credentials of the individuals. Also, the people must interact and keep each others informed if they are unhappy with certain things in the management.

“For a coach and a team/captain, the performance and inter-personal relationship both are important. If one doesn’t work, it is tough to continue,” said the former cricketer.

“Nationality of coach doesn’t matter. It is the credentials that matter. Just take a look at what they bring to the table and discuss with team captain or the team to keep them in the loop. If they have any reservation, and the reasoning is just, take that into account too. Many players have played under different type of coaches and personalities. It would be unfair to say that only ‘yes men’ survive,” he quoted further.

Unlikely to see Kumble in the role again

Given the kind of exit that Kumble has had, it is definitely very improbable to see him get another stint with the same capacity. Aakash feels he would get a bigger role in the administration. Meanwhile, other players like Virender Sehwag feel that the void left by Kumble would be hard to fill.

“We’ll get to know that in good time. Anil has had a good record and India have been very good with him and Virat at the top. Let’s see how things transpire from here. Unlikely that Kumble will return as coach but would be involved in some other capacity. Lack of trust with the team is hard to rebuild,” conceded Aakash Chopra.