KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir has strongly criticized AB de Villiers for his remarks on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. Gambhir argued that de Villiers lacks credibility to comment on Pandya’s leadership since he hasn’t captained an IPL team. This critique from Gambhir stems from de Villiers’ recent statement questioning Pandya’s leadership style and its compatibility with Mumbai Indians.
Gautam Gambhir comes to Pandya’s defence
In defence of Hardik Pandya, Gambhir emphasized the need to give him time to implement his ideas within the MI setup. He asserted that judging a captain solely based on team performance is paramount, highlighting the fluctuating opinions of experts contingent upon the team’s success.
“It’s not important what experts are saying, it’s their job to say something or the other. My opinion has always been that you judge someone’s captaincy by his team’s performance. If MI had performed well (this year), all experts would have been praising him. Today MI have not performed well and that’s why everyone is talking about it,” Gambhir stated on Sportskeeda.
Gambhir takes a dig at de Villiers
Furthermore, Gambhir took a swipe at de Villiers and Kevin Pietersen, questioning their credentials as leaders. He suggested that neither had a noteworthy record as captains in the IPL, dismissing their authority to lecture others on leadership.
“Judging him every day, every match, everything is not right. Those experts who have criticised him, they should see their own performances when they have captained a side. Whether it’s AB de Villiers or Kevin Pietersen. I don’t think in their career there is any performance of leadership, nothing. If you go and see their records, it’s worse than any other leader,” Gambhir asserted.
Gambhir urged for fair comparisons, emphasizing the importance of evaluating similar standards rather than contrasting ones.
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AB de Villiers clears his stance on Hardik Pandya comments
Turning to the initial comments made by de Villiers, the former South African cricketer had suggested that Pandya’s captaincy style lacked authenticity and may not resonate with seasoned players. He pointed out that under Pandya’s leadership, MI endured an early exit from the playoffs race, languishing at the seventh position in the points table with only four wins in twelve matches.
However, de Villiers later clarified his stance, asserting his admiration for Pandya’s approach while also acknowledging the need for strategic persona on the field to intimidate opponents.
“Why I said it’s always not genuine is because I played exactly the same way. I was not the soft-spoken, genuine AB de Villiers that I was at my home. The guy you saw on the field was in a way ‘an act’. Sometimes, you have to put up a front and show the opposition that you are a force to reckon with. That’s what Hardik Pandya does. I am saying that style is not always the easiest style to adapt to, especially for some senior players,” de Villiers clarified.
Despite de Villiers’ explanation, Gambhir remained unconvinced and continued to rebuke him for his comments. With Mumbai Indians out of the tournament, all eyes are on Pandya as he prepares to face Lucknow Super Giants in their last group stage match of IPL 2024 on Friday, 17 May.
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