'Operate Less As A Coach..,' McCullum Taunts Gambhir Ahead Of 1st T20I
Brendon McCullum takes sly dig at Gautam Gambhir [Source: @mufaddal_vohra, @ImTanujSingh/X.com]
England men’s cricket team’s head coach, Brendon McCullum took a sly dig at Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir. During a pre-game press conference, McCullum said that his coaching style is different as he likes to create a positive environment in the dressing room.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the Indian senior cricket team’s head coach hasn’t gone as planned. Under his mentorship, the team lost a series in Sri Lanka, a home Test series against New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Moreover, according to rumoured leaks, the dressing room environment is spoiled as Gambhir’s relations with captain Rohit Sharma have turned toxic. Not only that, Gambhir is reportedly playing a blame game as he named Sarfaraz Khan as the key culprit behind dressing room leaks.
Brendon McCullum takes dig at Gautam Gambhir's coaching style
Amid this, England’s head coach Brendon McCullum appeared for a pre-game press conference on January 20. England is set to play a white-ball series starting from January 22 and the coach addressed media questions.
In a sly dig at Gambhir, McCullum said that he does not like to operate like a traditional coach. Instead, he focuses on keeping the dressing room environment positive to ensure the players are in the right space mentally.
"I try to operate less as a coach and more someone who tries to keep the dressing-room atmosphere relaxed," McCullum told RevSportz.
This comes after Gambhir has been accused of creating unrest in the Indian dressing room. His upfront approach and stern language with seniors have reportedly resulted in a toxic environment. However, Rohit Sharma has clarified that his relationship with Gambhir is good and fans need not worry about anything.
Rohit-Gambhir engage in standoff over Champions Trophy squad: Reports
The press conference for the release of India’s squad for the Champions Trophy was delayed for two hours before chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma faced the media late in the afternoon.
Moreover, according to reports, the selection meeting was delayed since Rohit and coach Gautam Gambhir had differences in opinion. Gambhir reportedly wanted Hardik Pandya as vice-captain and also voted for Sanju Samson’s inclusion. However, Agarkar and Rohit rejected his request to appoint Shubman Gill as vice-captain instead.