File photo of Indian cricket team© AFP
Former Indian cricket team star Manoj Tiwary questioned India’s struggles in ICC tournaments in the past decade and said that the team should believe that they will be able to win all the competitions. In a recent interview, Tiwary went on to say that sometimes, deserving candidates do not get the opportunities and although it is not BCCI’s fault at all times, the lack of support has resulted in India missing out on major talents. He even went on to use Jalaj Saxena as an example who played well but was not included in the squad for the past few series.
“Why are we so happy after winning the ICC tournament after so long and acting like we won’t win in the near future? We should believe, and it can happen that we win all the ICC tournaments. When all the facilities are there, players get so much security, where are the performances? The performances are not happening because of the points I have observed and experienced. If these things are taken care of, I am sure India will win many ICC tournaments,” Tiwary told Hindustan Times.
“Someone gets a push, and sometimes, deserving candidates don’t have any big voice or big hand to support them, so they get neglected. But this doesn’t mean I am saying BCCI is not doing anything. I commend them for the things they have done for Indian cricket. But we are failing to win every ICC tournament. Why we won’t be as successful as Australia as far as winning ICC tournaments are concerned?” he added.
Tiwary on Thursday said current national team head coach Gautam Gambhir is “not the right choice” for the top job and he is only adept in mentoring IPL franchises, citing the side’s recent struggles to support his remarks.
Under Gambhir, India lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years, and they hit a new low when they were whitewashed 0-3 by New Zealand at home, unprecedented in the country’s cricket history.
Recently, India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade, and Tiwary, who has had a dressing room altercation with Gambhir during their playing days in the IPL, took note of these reversals since his appointment as the coach.
(With PTI inputs)
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