'He doesn't make very intelligent comments. You can see the agenda behind it': Manjrekar on Shastri's recent remarks
Manjrekar said that although he has always remained an admirer of Shastri the ex-player, some of the statements made by the former India coach is baffling.
Former India batter and renowned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar is a bit taken aback by a recent comment made by his former teammate and ex-India coach Ravi Shastri. In a recent interview with Sports Tak, Shastri had stated that he felt Virat Kohli could have continued as India's Test captain for at least another couple of years, but had that happened, 'some people wouldn't have been able to digest it' as the country's most successful skipper might have added more wins to his already illustrious captaincy record.
Reacting to it, Manjrekar said that although he has always remained an admirer of Shastri the ex-player, some of the statements made by the former India coach is baffling.
"I was a huge admirer of Ravi Shastri. I played under him, he gave players support, a great fighter, senior. This Shastri 2.0 I don't understand. What he says in public is expected, I don't react to it. I don't want to be disrespectful. He doesn't make very intelligent comments, you can see the agenda behind it. It's not an accurate cricketing observation," Manjrekar told CNN-News18.
Manjrekar, however does not disagree with Shastri's assessment about Kohli carrying on a little longer, but at the same time mentioned that the star India batter's batting was a bit of a problem. So the decision to walk away as Test captain could have to do with Kohli’s urge to concentrate on his batting and focus solely towards it with two major ICC events lined up.
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"No, he did have a couple of years, especially in Tests where his spirit was key. His playing XI selection hasn't been good, a legacy that is left behind by previous management. So he did have a couple of years, but his form was a problem. He generally bounces back quickly, but he has found that difficult," explained the former India batter.
"He didn't want that added pressure. Plus, the landscape around him, scenario around him had changed. He wants everything going for him, but that has changed. That was an added challenge, which he didn’t want to take on while focusing on his batting."
