IPL 2021: "Why can’t coaches be treated the same?" - Sunil Gavaskar joins debate on David Warner's captaincy sacking
Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has joined the debate regarding David Warner's sudden sacking from Sunrisers Hyderabad's captaincy duties midway through the IPL 2021. Gavaskar argued that if captains can be changed midway through a season, coaches should be treated the same.
After a string of poor performances in the first half of the tournament, SRH not only replaced David Warner with Kane Williamson as captain but also dropped the former from the XI. The decision came as a shock to many, considering Warner's unmatchable batting record with the franchise.
Writing in his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar called the events 'strange', saying that David Warner's runs with the bat were crucial and potentially 'galvanizing'.
"Hyderabad will also get time to think about its decision to not just sack David Warner as the captain but even to drop him from the playing XI. Warner was getting runs but not in the same assertive manner of earlier years. Still, with little support from the others, those runs were precious. Yet, he was left out of the playing XI, which was strange. Without the cares of captaincy, he could have been the galvanizing batsman that the team needed," wrote Sunil Gavaskar.
Citing the example of football, Sunil Gavaskar argued that managers, more than players, should share the burden of the team's poor performances.
"While the rights and wrongs of dropping him as captain could well be debated for long, the question that needs to be asked is if captains can be changed midway, why can’t coaches be treated the same? In football, the moment a team starts faltering, it’s the manager who is shown the exit door, so why not in cricket too?" Sunil Gavaskar added.
The decision to drop David Warner was also pinned on a possible rift between the Aussie and the team's backroom staff. Warner had publicly questioned the 'selectors' - apparently head coach Trevor Bayliss and director of cricket Tom Moody - for some of their decisions and many believed that he paid the price for it.
SRH would have been relieved that IPL 2021 had to be suspended: Sunil Gavaskar
Nevertheless, SRH couldn't reap immediate returns from the tectonic change and lost their first match under Williamson's captaincy in IPL 2021. They were languishing at the bottom-most spot in the table before the tournament was called off. In view of the Sunrisers' solitary win from 7 games, Sunil Gavaskar also said the franchise will be 'relieved' that the event got postponed.
"Sunrisers Hyderabad had a forgettable beginning and would have been relieved that the event had to be suspended...the suspension could well be a blessing in disguise as it allows time for a calm, cool and proper introspection rather than in the hurly-burly of the tournament itself," noted Sunil Gavaskar.
Whenever the tournament resumes, every game will be a knockout for the Orange Army. It will be interesting to see whether it brings out the best or worst in them.