Team India is about to embark on yet another chapter of transformation, as is customary following an ODI World Cup. The players and supporters will need some time to move over their sadness from the championship game, but the selectors must quickly turn their attention to the future. According to reports, head coach Rahul Dravid has made the decision to step down.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, will be 40 years old and skipper Virat Kohli, 39, when the subsequent ODI World Cup takes place in 2027. Their excellence is beyond question, but it could be too much to ask to wait four years. The board as well as selectors are faced with an immediate choice to make before considering what could occur in four years.
Shoaib Akhtar, the former speedster for Pakistan, believes that Rohit is the best opener India will receive and believes that both he as well as Kohli possess a great deal of cricket remaining in them.
The former fast bowler spoke to Zee News about India’s captaincy as he said, “If you ask do Rohit and Kohli have cricket left in them? Yes, definitely. Do you get a better opener than Rohit in the world right now? No, you don’t.”
“They should be given due respect” : Shoaib Akhtar
If there is a transition phase, according to Akhtar, Hardik needs to be in charge of ensuring that it ends amicably. Akhtar used Dhoni’s interaction with Sachin Tendulkar as an example. Along with that he used Kohli’s handling of Dhoni shortly after the latter had given up his captaincy.
The former Pakistan bowler added that, “When Dhoni came, he gave respect to Sachin Tendulkar. When Virat came, he respected Dhoni. When Rohit replaced Virat, he also gave him respect. So, now it’s up to Hardik Pandya how he wants to send these two great players off. It’s up to him now to put his put down. And he has to bid them goodbye respectfully. They deserve this respect. I’m maybe putting pressure on Hardik Pandya through this but he needs to give that respect to Rohit and Kohli. He is in the team because of them. The kind of favours he has got in the team from them should be repaid. And they are legends of Indian cricket, so they should be given due respect before they are let go.”
