Sydney: Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of Team India, has expressed strong views on the importance of domestic cricket in nurturing the next generation of players.
In a post-match press conference here on Sunday, Gambhir emphasised that domestic cricket is vital for the development of Indian talent, asserting that without it, the country will struggle to produce top-tier cricketers.
"Everyone should play domestic cricket. That is how much important domestic cricket has to be given. If you don’t, you will never get the desired players. So whoever is available, should go and play domestic cricket," Gambhir remarked, stressing the need for players to stay grounded in the domestic circuit to hone their skills and build the necessary experience.
He added, "I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket, if they're available. If you’ve commitment to play red-ball cricket then play domestic."
Gambhir’s remarks come at a time when top India batsmen put up a dismal show in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, where India lost series 1-3. The head coach also addressed the team’s performance without Jasprit Bumrah on Day 3 of the SCG Test, acknowledging that his presence would have been a boost, but insisting that the team should not be dependent on one individual.
"First of all, I don't want to say that, since Jasprit Bumrah wasn't there, we couldn't get the result. We had our moments, and it would have been nice if he had been there. We still had 5 bowlers and a good team that shouldn't be dependent on one individual. We didn’t get the result, as simple as it gets,” he said.
Despite the result, Gambhir praised the efforts of the bowlers, especially Bumrah’s record-breaking performances.
Bumrah ended up picking 32 wickets in the series at an exceptional average of 13.06, further underscoring his value to the team. Gambhir lauded the contribution of other bowlers, including Mohammed Siraj and some young players, highlighting their collective efforts.
