"Talk face-to-face" - Ex-Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on BCCI-Virat Kohli row
Shahid Afridi believes the controversy surrounding India's white-ball captaincy could have been handled in a better manner. He feels the issue would not have been blown out of proportion if there had been clear communication between Virat Kohli and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The former Pakistani all-rounder pointed out that the selection committee must convey their objectives to the players and make them understand the same. He also mentioned that it is important to know what players have in mind regarding those plans.
The 44-year-old reckoned that communicating through the media was never the right option. Instead, it is better for the two parties to talk it out face-to-face to avoid any ambiguity. Here's what he said on Pakistani news channel Samaa TV:
"This could have been handled in a better way. I always feel that the role of a cricket board is very important; it plays the role of a father. Whatever future plans a selection committee of a board has regarding a player, it communicates those plans to that player, like, 'Look, we have these plans, what are your plans? We want to do this and as a board, we see benefits from doing this."
Afridi added:
"If you communicate these things via media, there will be issues. Talk face-to-face, and we might have solutions. This won't be solved if you keep dragging it. There should be no communication gap between players and PCB, or any board for that matter."
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was relieved of the ODI captaincy by India's national selectors earlier this month. He had earlier relinquished his position as the T20 skipper after the completion of the T20 World Cup 2021.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly claimed he had personally requested Kohli not to step down from the T20 captaincy. However, Kohli contradicted the statement in a sensational press conference by revealing no such request was made.
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"Sourav Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee" - former India player Dilip Vengsarkar on BCCI sacking Kohli as ODI captain
Dilip Vengsarkar has called out BCCI president Sourav Ganguly for mishandling the entire Virat Kohli captaincy episode. The ex-cricketer opined that a more professional approach should have been adopted to tackle the situation.
He stated that Ganguly should not have spoken on behalf of national selectors. He feels Kohli would be disappointed with his unceremonious sacking, as he has contributed significantly to the team over the years.
Here's what Dilip Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times:
"It’s very unfortunate, the whole thing. I think it should have been handled more professionally by the cricket board. The thing is that Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee. Ganguly is the president of BCCI. Any issue about selection or captaincy, it’s the chairman of the selection committee who should speak."
Kohli will next be seen leading the Indian team in the impending three-match Test series in South Africa. The first game of the tour is set to begin on December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.