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'Virat's press conference created a storm, Sourav got dragged into it': Ganguly's former teammate on Kohli captaincy row
A former India batter, an ex-India teammate of Sourav Ganguly, has weighed in on the latest controversy in Indian cricket surrounding Virat Kohli's removal as ODI captain.
A former India batter has weighed in on the latest controversy in Indian cricket surrounding Virat Kohli's removal as ODI captain. Kohli addressed an explosive press conference ahead of the team's departure for South Africa where he spoke about the events that led to his sacking as captain of the ODI team, rumours of rift with Rohit Sharma among other topics.
The biggest takeaway from the PC was his take on how the BCCI reacted to his decision of stepping down as T20I captain, a stark contrast to board president Sourav Ganguly's version.
Ganguly's ex teammate, Mohammad Kaif, who played under the former India captain, gave his opinion on the matter saying that although the Kohli-Ganguly sage erupted at the wrong time – ahead of a high-profile Test series - but India have the perfect man in Rahul Dravid to handle the chaotic situation with absolute calm.
"Lately, Indian cricket has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Indian captain Virat Kohli's press conference before leaving for South Africa created a storm and Sourav Ganguly too got dragged into it," Kaif wrote in his column for India.com
"Thankfully for Indian cricket, they had a trouble-shooter in place. We know him by the name of Rahul Dravid, the new Head Coach of the Indian cricket team. Having played with and under Rahul bhai, I can safely tell you that if there was ever a man to handle the ship of the Indian team, it is him."
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Dravid has been part of some of the major upheavals witnessed in Indian cricket. Right from the infamous Greg Chappell episode to India's 2007 World Cup exit to the 2013 IPL spot fixing scandal, Dravid is bare witness to all and Kaif reckons the experience of being in fire will be something the India head coach will use judiciously to ensure all is well within the Indian camp.
"I say this with quiet confidence as Dravid himself has seen a lot of ups and downs in his times as a former India cricketer and captain. He was leading India when Greg Chappell was around as a coach. He was captain of Rajasthan Royals when the spot-fixing and match-fixing controversy happened in 2013," mentioned Kaif.
"As captain these phases tested him but he came out on top. His communication skills, patience, ability to handle egos and above all his selflessness worked in his favour."
