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Shahid Afridi Breaks Silence On 'Old Foe' Gautam Gambhir's India Head Coach Appointment

Akshita Patel

Gautam Gambhir formally announced as India's next head coach (X.com)Gautam Gambhir formally announced as India's next head coach (X.com)

In a surprising yet intriguing development, former Pakistani cricket star Shahid Afridi has extended his congratulations to his old rival, Gautam Gambhir, on his recent appointment as head coach of the Indian cricket team.

With Rahul Dravid ending his coaching stint with the T20 World Cup trophy, it's time for Indian cricket to undergo a change. As Dravid refused to extend his contract, BCCI appointed former cricketer and KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir as immediate replacement. 

Gambhir will be the head coach of the senior Indian cricket team for the next five years and will take charge of the upcoming bilateral series against Sri Lanka.

Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team drew significant reactions from the cricket fraternity as he became one of the youngest candidates to embrace the challenging job. 

Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan all-rounder, shared his thoughts on the development and revealed that it's a new and big responsibility for Gambhir.

Afridi, currently representing Pakistan at the World Legends championship, added that Gambhir's success as India's head coach would depend on how he capitalises on the opportunity with the right mindset and approach.

"It's a new opportunity and a big one. It depends on how he avails such an opportunity. Sometimes, I listen to his interviews. He talks positively and is straightforward," Afridi said.

But at the same time, Afridi expressed confidence in Gambhir's capabilities, stating that the latter has a straightforward and positive personality.

Indeed, Gautam Gambhir appears to be the right fit for the job, considering his past success in mentorship roles. Moreover, he has a greater understanding of India's grass root level cricket, which will be an added plus in his tenure.