Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram urged that Gautam Gambhir is the best candidate for the coaching job of the Indian cricket team saying he is a very intelligent person.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently searching for a new coach to replace Rahul Dravid at the end of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 and they have contacted with multiple coaches already.
As per reports in India, three foreign coaches — Ricky Ponting, Stephen Fleming and Justin Langer — were contacted by BCCI before approaching Gambhir, who is yet to give any answer.
Akram, who led Pakistan in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup, said that Gambhir is someone who doesn’t tolerate much and will say anything he wants to the face. The former pacer backed BCCI’s choice of wanting Gambhir to replace Dravid.
“Yeah, he is the best candidate. It depends on whether Gautam accepts it. He has also left politics because it took too much time. It is a time-consuming job. He is a very intelligent person, so he realised it’s not easy. He has two lovely daughters,” Akram said while talking to Sportskeeda Cricket YouTube channel.
“He speaks clearly, bluntly and doesn’t think twice, a quality that isn’t part of Indian cricket culture. In our culture, we say things that don’t offend people. But GG is someone who, if he doesn’t like something, will say it to your face. That’s his quality and that’s why everyone likes him. He gets aggressive at times, but that’s him as a person. He will bring that same aggression to the team.”
Remember, Gambhir is currently serving Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He led the franchise to two titles during his time as a captain in 2012 and 2014. Since then, KKR have failed to add any trophy to their cabinet.
- Gautam Gambhir