The appointment of Gautam Gambhir marks the start of a fresh chapter in Indian cricket, one that is expected to take it to greater heights after Rahul Dravid ended his tenure with a World Cup win. After much deliberation, Gambhir's candidature was finalised. It is believed that after Dravid refused an extension, the BCCI wanted VVS Laxman – the NCA chief and India's stand-in coach – to take up the role but after he refused the offer and the likes of Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming were discarded, Gambhir stepped up for 'national duty'.
Gambhir gave up his love for Kolkata Knight Riders for the greater good, a move that even bridged any gap that may have existed between him and Virat Kohli after burying the hatchet during IPL 2024. Gambhir may not have prior experience as a coach but his stints as mentor with KKR and Lucknow Super Giants have been rather successful ones. Still, there are those, such as Tanveer Ahmed, who feel Gambhir doesn't deserve the role. The ex-Pakistan pacer levelled 'parchi' allegations against the former India opener and believes Laxman was a more qualified contender ahead of him.
Parchi, in Hindi, refers to a slip or receipt, but in Pakistan cricket circuit, the term is used to describe someone who has made his way into the setup, or the team based on sources or connections.
Also Read | 'Never expected Rahul Dravid to say something like this': Abhishek Sharma shares unheard 'if they abuse...' episode
"VVS Laxman should have become the head coach of the Indian team because he has been with the India B team as coach for a long time. It seems as if Gautam Gambhir's appointment is a 'parchi' case," tweeted Tanveer, who played 5 Tests, 2 ODIs and a lone T20I for Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}"VVS Laxman should have become the head coach of the Indian team because he has been with the India B team as coach for a long time. It seems as if Gautam Gambhir's appointment is a 'parchi' case," tweeted Tanveer, who played 5 Tests, 2 ODIs and a lone T20I for Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}Tanveer was right about one part though. Laxman has spent a considerable amount of time with the Indian team comprising juniors. He was the coach when India won the gold medal at last year's Asian Games and also more recently as the Boys in Blue defeated Zimbabwe 4-1 in T20Is. He also oversaw the Indian T20I team that defeated Australia 4-1 at home right after the 2023 ODI World Cup.