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Irfan Pathan Hails Gautam Gambhir (Source: @IrfanPathan/x.com, @ImTanujSingh/x.com)
Being Rahul Dravid’s successor, Gautam Gambhir took Team India’s charge, and the cricket world witnessed some of the major shifts. Among the many changes, his boldest stand has been clear, building a strong team culture by ending the dominance of star culture.
In a recent interview, former Indian star Irfan Pathan backed coach Gautam Gambhir’s approach. He also lauded Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee, applauding their transparency in picking the squad.
Team First Spirit Over Star Culture
Over the years, Team India has achieved great success. However, the issue of an alleged 'Star Culture' often sparked discussions. Many thought that favoritism towards well-known players overshadowed emerging talents. But after taking charge after Dravid, Gautam Gambhir voiced against it, prioritizing ‘Team Culture’.
In a recent interview with Lallantop, former Indian star Irfan Pathan backed Gambhir’s stance. Backing the Indian coach, Pathan said, Gambhir will establish the perfect ‘Team Culture’ before ending his tenure with Team India.
“Mere liye team culture bohut important hai. Gautam Gambhir jo hai na wahaan pe, jab tak wo apni coaching journey khatam karenge na, wo team culture le ke aayenge puri tarah ser. (For me, team culture is very important. As long as Gambhir is the coach, he will fully instill team culture)”, he said.
“Humare yahaan ek banda fail hue ja raha hai 3,4,5 saal se magar usko chance de do kyuki wo bohut bada player hai. Kahi to aapko full stop lagana padega na. (Here, a player keeps failing for 3,4,5 years, but still gets opportunities because he is a bi name. Somewhere, you have to put a full stop,” he added.
Heartfelt Praises for Agarkar
Along with backing Team India’s head coach, Irfan Pathan praised the Ajit Agarkar-led current selection committee for their approach to selecting the squad. He believed that the Gambhir-Agarkar duo is driving the Indian cricket team in the right direction.
“Dusra jinka nasm nahi aata, wo banda abada jabardast hai Indian cricker k liye – charman Ajit Agarkar. Aaj ek koi bhi decision hota hai na, wo sirf coach nahi le sakta, ek koi bhi decision selector nahi le sakta. Do log agar mil jaaye, jo majboot ho wo fir sahi direction mey jaate hai. Mujhe lagata hai ye dono sahi direction me ja rahe hai (The other person who deserves credit is Ajit Agarkar, he is fantastic for Indian cricket. Today, no decision can be taken solely by the selector. If two strong individuals come together, the team moves in the right direction. I believe Gambhir and Agarkar are doing that with team culture), he said.
As the Asia Cup 2025 is coming close, the Gambhir-Agarkar duo is standing near the real test. As Team India is yet to announce their mighty squad for the marquee tournament, the choices they make could well shape the side’s edge in the tournament.
