Pakistan Ex-Cricketers Target Gill and Gambhir After India's ODI Series Loss to New Zealand
Former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal have pointed fingers at Indian skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir. They blame them for India's first-ever home ODI series defeat to New Zealand. The criticism comes despite standout performances from players like Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and Virat Kohli during the matches.
Basit Ali Compares Gill's Captaincy to Pakistan's Shan Masood
Basit Ali did not hold back in his assessment. He directly compared Shubman Gill's leadership to that of Pakistan's Shan Masood. "Yeh to Shan Masood wali captaincy ki hai Gill ne," Basit remarked on the show 'The Game Plan'. He specifically questioned Gill's decision to bring medium pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy into the attack before spin specialists Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
Kamran Akmal supported this view. He emphasized that a captain must control the game effectively. "When you have got early wickets, you need to bring your specialist bowlers in the attack," Akmal stated. He believed that another wicket at that crucial stage could have restricted New Zealand to a much lower total, perhaps between 225 and 250 runs.
Criticism of Bowling Changes and Lack of Confidence
Basit Ali elaborated on the bowling strategy. He noted that Kuldeep Yadav was taken off after just three overs, even though he had conceded a couple of sixes. "If Kuldeep had got a wicket after getting hit, it would have been a victory for him," Basit argued. The spinner was only brought back later, when the partnership between Mitchell and Phillips had already crossed 150 runs.
This move, according to Basit, showed a lack of confidence in both Kuldeep and Jadeja from the captain. He even suggested that it might have been the "last match" for Jadeja under such circumstances. Akmal highlighted another imbalance. He pointed out that Harshit Rana bowled his full quota of 10 overs, giving away 84 runs. In contrast, Kuldeep and Jadeja together bowled only six overs, while New Zealand's specialist spinner completed his 10 overs.
Questions Over Captaincy Appointment and Gambhir's Role
Both former players questioned the haste in appointing Shubman Gill as the ODI captain. Akmal felt that Gill should have served as Rohit Sharma's deputy first. He should have learned on the job leading up to the 2027 World Cup. "This is the same mistake that Pakistan made when they made Babar Azam the captain in 2018," Akmal added, drawing a parallel with Pakistan's own experiences.
Basit Ali also placed responsibility on head coach Gautam Gambhir. He criticized the batting order decisions during the chase. "Gambhir is fond of the left-right combination in T20 cricket," Basit said. He wondered why right-handers were sent to bat alongside Virat Kohli when left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox was operating. Basit insisted that Ravindra Jadeja should have been promoted ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy to better utilize the left-handers in the lineup.
Analysis of Batting and New Zealand's Dominance
Jayden Lennox, making his international debut, proved effective. He gave away only 42 runs in his 10 overs and took the wickets of Reddy and Jadeja. India was chasing a target of 338 runs at that point. Kamran Akmal believed that with a solid 50-60 run partnership at the start, India could have chased down the total in about 45 overs.
Basit Ali acknowledged the runs scored by Reddy and Rana. However, he stressed that these contributions did not lead to a win. "If India had to win, Rohit Sharma had to bat for at least 10 overs, and Kohli would have taken over after that," he explained. The foundation, according to him, needed to be built from the top order.
Reflecting on the broader context, Basit noted New Zealand's consistent challenge to India. "New Zealand has become a headache for India," he said. Whether in ICC events or bilateral series, the Kiwis always give India a tough time, making this defeat part of a recurring pattern.
