Most cricketers who played in the pre and post 1970s, 1980s, and well into the 1990s were brought up to respect their elders. Even when we disagreed with them, we never forgot what they had done for the game. They kept cricket alive in the most difficult of times when there was hardly any money in the game and Test players were paid match fees from gate collections.
I remember a cricketer of the 1950s revealing how a BCCI Secretary came to the station to hand over the match fees of players in bags of coins before the players boarded the train for the next venue. It was this passion and sacrifice that kept the game alive, and because of that, we got the chance to earn far more than they ever did.
We also had immense respect for our coaches. Even if we were scolded, even slapped for a mistake, our regard for them never diminished. Those coaches are still remembered with warmth and gratitude because they gave their time and knowledge without expecting anything in return. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli have always acknowledged and respected their coaches, even after becoming legends.
Sadly, I’ve seen some of today’s players forget the people who truly shaped them. Once they make it to the Indian team, they start giving credit to the current head coach — sometimes just to please him — forgetting that it was their earlier mentors who built their foundation. The other day my 1983 World Cup teammate K Srikkanth criticised the selection of Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy for the three-match ODI tour of Australia.
Respect views of ex-players
Srikkanth, who played for India from 1981 to 1992, captained the country, and later served as chairman of selectors and picked the 2011 World Cup-winning team. One can choose to agree or disagree, but there’s no reason to rebuke him publicly. Yes, Srikkanth has his own flamboyant style of speaking, just like his batting, and that’s exactly what we love about him. It’s true that sometimes former players may go a bit overboard and face trolling on social media, but that doesn’t take away their right to speak about the game they’ve served with such passion. Their views should be taken in the spirit in which they are offered — with respect and an open mind.
As head coach, it’s always wiser to focus on the battle on hand rather than opening too many fronts and losing sight of the main goal. I was genuinely pained to read Gautam Gambhir publicly rebuking Srikkanth’s views and speaking harshly about a former player in the media. In the professional world of sport, once you take on the role of head coach, you represent not just yourself, but the entire cricketing fraternity. It’s a position of responsibility and dignity, not of personal ego. One should always learn from those who have held the role before and remember that leadership is best shown through calm focus and example, not reaction.
Having coached Gautam at the NCA when he was an U-19 player, I’d like to remind him to stay focused on improving the team’s performance and winning major tournaments. That’s the best way to silence unfair critics. Every coach faces criticism — fair or unfair — during their tenure. It’s part of the job. Critics speak after results; coaches, captains, and selectors have to make tough calls before the match, often under immense pressure. But whatever happens, the dignity of the head coach should never be lowered by public rebuke. Stay focused, smile, and enjoy the responsibility you’ve been entrusted with.
I firmly believe cricket stays strong because people are free to speak their mind. Former players don’t share their views to attack anyone — they do it because they care about the game and want it to grow. The day such openness is not tolerated, the decline will begin. Many other sports in India have lagged behind because their administrators cannot handle criticism. The BCCI has stayed ahead because it listens — openly and respectfully — to the voices of those who’ve played and lived the game.
Rohit, Virat deserve respect
The tour of Australia is a short one, but important. The team includes former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There is talk about this being their final ODI fling. I believe the players, who have taken Indian cricket to where it stands today, deserve an honourable and dignified retirement — not to be unceremoniously dropped. Players like R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Rohit, and Virat have given everything to Indian cricket, and their immense contribution should never be forgotten.
Hopefully, the head coach and chief selector will sit down with these senior players and share the team’s future plans in an honest discussion. If, after discussion, it’s clear that their role in the team has come to a natural end, they should be given one last match or series to say goodbye on their own terms — with dignity, gratitude, and respect. That’s the least a cricketing system can offer to the men who have carried the team’s flag so proudly for so long.
The author was part of India’s 1983 ODI World Cup-winning team.