The legendary cricketers and former Team India captains Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin react after loss to New Zealand in T20 World Cup. Kapil Dev feels Virat Kohli’s admission of his team not being brave enough in the T20 World Cup loss to New Zealand is a “very weak statement” and head coach Ravi Shastri along with mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni should step up to lift the players’ morale.
India lost by eight wickets to the Black Caps in Dubai on Sunday night, severely jeopardising their chances of making the semifinals. The 62-year-old former captain said the big names will have to take responsibility for what is transpiring in the UAE. “Obviously, it’s a very weak statement from a player as big as Virat Kohli. We all know and we believe that he has the hunger and desire to win games for the team,” he told ‘ABP News’.
“But, if the body language of the team and thought process of the captain is like this, it’s very difficult to lift the mood of the players inside the dressing room,” he added referring to Kohli’s statement that his teammates were not brave enough with the bat, ball or in their body language. “I would urge my friend Shastri and Dhoni to lift the team in this scenario, it is Dhoni’s job to talk to players and give them confidence,” he added.
Another former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who captain India in three World Cups 1992, 1996 and 1999 feels not answering the public in a scenario where India’s chances of reaching the semi-final hang by a thread, it does not send out a good message and could lead to repercussions. “There is no shame in losing. But you need to come and speak up. That is the right thing to do. People will listen to you and at least get to know the reason behind the loss.
There is a difference between Bumrah speaking or a coach/captain speaking. It is important to face the public. You will have to face the nation and come and speak. If you don’t come, what will people think? Needless rumours are going to be spread,” Azharuddin said on ABP News. Weighing in further, Azharuddin feels attending press conferences when India win, but not otherwise is not a good sign of a true leader and added that although he isn’t aware as to why Kohli decided to give the interaction a miss, the tight thing to do would have been him talking about the match result and the performances of the players upfront.
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“If you are the captain, you should take responsibility. When you become the representative of the team, this will happen. If you come attend conference after winning in good times but not after losing in bad times, that isn’t the right approach. I don’t know the reason why he didn’t come, but he should have,” Azharuddin pointed out.
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