Former Indian cricketer and chief selector Sandeep Patil has come out in strong support of under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir following India's disappointing 2-0 Test series loss to South Africa on home soil. The defeat has sparked widespread criticism of Gambhir's leadership, but Patil, drawing from his extensive experience, has urged for patience and a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in coaching the national team.
Patil Questions the Critics
Sandeep Patil, a member of India's iconic 1983 World Cup-winning squad, expressed his surprise at the volume of criticism directed at Gambhir. He pointed out that the commentary is largely coming from those who have never held the position of head coach for the Indian team. Patil emphasized that those who have actually donned the national cap and taken on the responsibility of head coach have remained silent on the matter.
He also redirected some of the scrutiny towards the players' performance and combination, questioning what a head coach can do when the team loses on both bad and good pitches. "You played on a bad pitch, you lost. You played on a good pitch, you lost. What can the head coach do? It is wrong to point fingers at only one person," Patil stated in his conversation with TOI.
A Veteran's Perspective on Coaching Challenges
Leveraging his 15-17 years of experience coaching various teams, including Madhya Pradesh, Kenya, Oman, India Under-19, India A, and the senior Indian team, as well as his tenure as chief selector, Patil detailed the immense difficulties of the job. This firsthand knowledge is why he chose not to comment on the situation until now.
Patil has known Gambhir since his early days, having been the India A coach when Gambhir began his career and the chief selector when he established himself in the national side. He described Gambhir as an "intense, committed person" who knows what he is doing, suggesting that critics do not understand him well.
A Plea for Time and Patience
Addressing the impulsive calls for Gambhir's removal, Patil appealed for calm and reason. He stressed that a head coach, along with the selectors and players, needs time to settle into their roles. "We must allow the head coach, selectors and the players time to settle down. You cannot jump the gun," he advised, criticizing the emotional and quick-trigger reaction to sack someone after a defeat.
To bolster his argument, he reminded everyone that even highly successful coaches like Rahul Dravid, Duncan Fletcher, Gary Kirsten, and Anil Kumble had difficult starts to their tenures. He believes Gambhir, whose tenure has just begun, requires a longer runway of three to five years to make a proper impact, especially when dealing with a large pool of player options.
Finally, Patil dismissed the notion that players are prioritizing the IPL over Test cricket, calling it a wrong line of thinking. He urged players to focus on their basics and maintain a positive mindset during this challenging period for Indian Test cricket.
