India captain Rohit Sharma‘s fitness remains a hot topic of debate amid his lean patch with the bat in Test cricket. Recently, former South African cricketer Daryll Cullinan had taken a swipe at Rohit’s fitness, calling him “overweight” and unfit for the rigours of a five-match Test series. Cullinan had labelled Rohit a “flat track bully” and even called him a liability to the team. Now, Cullinan’s compatriot Herschelle Gibbs has reacted to his comments on the Indian skipper.
Gibbs, a former teammate of Rohit at Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers (now defunct), has echoed Cullinan’s sentiments, saying that everything is visible on TV and doesn’t need to mention any names.
“I don’t need to mention any names. You can see everything on TV. Those guys that are unfit and carrying a little bit extra, I mean, the whole world is there to see. I think it’s up to the individual. I was only a batter. Rohit doesn’t bowl. It’s up to the individual for me with regards to how much they want to contribute, not only in their own specific skill. If you’re a bowler or a batter, your duty is still to be fit and to try and make a contribution in the field,” Gibbs told InsideSport.
Gibbs also suggested that it’s up to the players to figure out how they want to contribute to the team.
“Those guys that are unfit and carrying a little bit extra, I mean, the whole world is there to see. I don’t need to mention any names. The mindset should be, especially with a lot of T20 cricket and obviously with the Champions Trophy coming up, how much you want to contribute and make a difference for your team,” he added.
Rohit’s form has hit an all-time low in 2014, with the star batter managing just 152 runs in his last 13 Test innings at an average of 11.69.
With the five-match series against Australia tied at 1-1, Rohit has the chance to silence his critics in the remaining two matches in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
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