Sunil Gavaskar feels BCCI and Team India humiliated legend Anil Kumble

Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar is not happy with the way Team India skipper Virat Kohli and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treated former India head coach Anil Kumble, who is a former India captain and a legendary spinner. Gavaskar also took a jibe at Kohli as he believes that the 28-year-old was uncomfortable in the high-profile coach’s presence in the dressing room.

Gavaskar in his column stated, what happened to Kumble was “sad and very sad indeed”. He didn’t shy away from slamming Indian cricket team as they ‘humiliated’ Kumble to prove their authority. Due to an internal tussle between Kumble and haughty skipper Virat Kohli, the former decided to step down, although BCCI and Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) were ready to give Kumble an extension till the 2019 World Cup.

Kohli and a few senior players were not happy with the coach’s tough approach. CAC asked both Kumble and Kohli to sort out the issue and continue the job but neither moved from their stances. So, it was the head coach who had to give up the job.

The most successful Indian spinner was given extension till India’s tour of West Indies but stepped down from his position just before he was supposed to take a flight to the Caribbean. Kumble’s decision to give up the job stunned CAC and BCCI as they were left with no option but to select a new coach for Team India.

Did the right thing

Gavaskar believed Kumble did the right thing stepping down the position where he was not getting due respect and the BCCI failed to provide a good atmosphere to its employee.

“Kumble could have also stuck around, but in an atmosphere where the skipper and maybe others in the team did not like his method of operating it would have been a tense situation every single hour,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Sportstar.

How did it happen?

The former Indian batsman, who was the first batsman to 10000 runs in Test cricket, slammed BCCI for letting the things happen. Since Kumble quit, there was no explanation how the events that happened inside the dressing room were leaked to the media.

“There is no explanation from anybody about how a dressing room situation came into the open that led to Kumble not accepting another year as the coach. Kohli, in his statement to the media, said glowing things about Kumble as a player but nothing about his performance as a coach. So that was a dead giveaway: he didn’t want to say much about that aspect,” he wondered.

Talking about Kohli, Gavaskar said the skipper didn’t talk about Kumble’s success with Team India.

“The coach’s job should never be dependent on the players’ views, for they would always seek coaches who will listen to them rather than the other way around. One of the reasons why legends don’t stay for long as coaches, especially in India, is because the current players become uncomfortable with the attention that the legend gets,” quipped Gavaskar taking a jibe on India’s image cautious skipper Virat Kohli.

The players need a manager

Sunil Gavaskar also said that the current Indian team doesn’t need a coach, “It is time to leave the past behind and look at the future. Indian cricket is in the cusp of greatness, with a captain who is going to be recognised as one of the best batsmen seen in the game and a team brimming with talent. Frankly, with such talent available, the team doesn’t need a coach.

“It needs someone who can be like the elder brother who the players can relate to and confide in about their problems and be certain that these will be confidential and addressed sooner than later. The players need a manager who will keep them in check if things get out of hand, especially on overseas tours, and rein them in so that they are always in a position to perform to their best every single day they don the India colours,” said Gavaskar.