Gautam Gambhir thrashes allegations of rift between senior India cricketers

January 6, 2014

Gautam_GambhirJan 6: Gautam Gambhir on Sunday clarified that all the rumours about his differences with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, or the famous dispute between Dhoni and Virender Sehwag is nothing but an ‘imaginative mind working overtime’.

Gambhir told Mumbai Mirror, “All this friction within the team is nothing but someone’s imaginative mind working overtime. I have said this before and I will say this again that there is nothing wrong between me and MS Dhoni or Viru bhai, Yuvi and Harbhajan. It is just a coincidence that we’re not in the team for various reasons like form and fitness but to look beyond all this is nothing but being disrespectful to the intentions of the players.”

The 32-year-old batsman, who was relegated from the Grade A of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) contract list to Grade B, says that he is not the only cricketer trying to make a comeback.

Gambhir said, “It still means that I am in the scheme of things for people who matter. Believe me, it is no disaster. I am not the first or the last cricketer trying to make a comeback. I think apart from Sachin Tendulkar, there is not a single cricketer in the Indian team who hasn’t been left out at some stage. I’m trying to evolve as a cricketer which is the most important thing to me.”

Talking about his batting technique, Gambhir defended himself and said he has scored runs all over and he does not rely on a few methods.

“I’ve scored some runs in front of the wicket as well — my game is not only about nudges. There was a time when I was not leaving enough balls outside the off-stump. I’m just trying to do that and thankfully it is working out for me. But there hasn’t been anything specific with either of the two coaches[Duncan Fletcher and Sanjay Bhardwaj],” he said.

Talking about insecurities, Gambhir said, “It’s not about being secure or insecure. At the end of the day you are competing with the opposition and not with insecurities. To put things in perspective, I spoke about insecurities when I was in and out of the side at the very start of my career but things are different after playing 50 Tests.”

Gambhir denied the allegation that he put club over country and played for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, and missing the tour to the West Indies in 2011.

He said, “The Club vs Country notion was completely fabricated. I don’t go about advertising things but I have played with enough injuries for my country. To set the record straight, let me tell you that the reports of the scans on my shoulder and groin reached us only after the game in Mumbai. Had I known how serious my injury was, I’d have definitely opted out of the IPL and looked at the opportunity of playing for India. And I am yet to come across a cricketer who prefers playing for his franchisee in the IPL rather than his country.”

“I don’t think I was out of form. In fact, it was a combination of some good bowling and injuries that ruined my England tour,” Gambhir added.

Gambhir said he never believed in designations and always wanted to contribute to the team’s cause.

“Well I am not a great believer in designations. Captaincy or vice-captaincy is not the end, it’s the means to the end. The difference that I was trying to make as the vice-captain of the team, I was still doing that as member of MS Dhoni’s team. To the outside world, it might seem a catastrophe but I was certainly not losing sleep over them,” Gambhir said.

“My job is to score runs and not worry about selection. The idea is to evolve as a cricketer and individual which is exactly what I am focusing on. And I have not spoken to either the selectors or Dhoni. It is a simple equation: keep scoring runs and you will end up being in top teams, be it India, KKR or Delhi,” he added.

Gambhir said that he remains motivated to play cricket and he is enjoying the ongoing season with Delhi.

“Like most cricketers, I picked up my bat to score runs and help my teams win. So travelling the country to play Ranji games is as much fun as it has been travelling abroad with the Indian team. The zest to win in different conditions, the desire to take Delhi cricket forward and, in the process, evolve as a batsman, all this keeps me going. I love this sport and the very fact that I am involved in a contest,” he said.

Gambhir continued, “Sometimes, the contest is with the opposition, sometimes there is a battle within that I won’t hit a cover drive but it’s all fun and not a burden. To cite an example, when we travelled to Gujarat or Jharkhand, I was really looking forward to visiting these places and see for myself how they have developed. Being a cricketer is fun. As far as playing at Roshanara on green tracks is concerned, it was done to ensure outright wins for Delhi and nothing else. It would have been tough to get full points at Kotla and that is why we made this move.”

Gambhir thrashed the talks that he will be hoping for an opening in the Indian team in case Shikhar Dhawan or Murali Vijay flop on the tour of New Zealand.

He said, “It disappoints me that we cricketers are such a misunderstood lot. It is disgraceful to think that for my personal gains, I’d expect M Vijay or Shikhar (Dhawan) to fail. I’m sorry but I don’t approach my life or cricket that way. Vijay looked really good in South Africa, especially in tough conditions in the Johannesburg Test. I wish him all the very best for New Zealand. Shikhar again is extremely dear to me. He may not have scored in heaps but I’d really request the critics not to get after him. Just give him time, he’ll be fine. I wish both of them luck.”

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News Network
June 10,2020

Jun 10: "It is never too late to fight for the right cause," said opening batsman Chris Gayle as he came out in support of former T20 World Cup-winning skipper Darren Sammy. The debate around racism in sport has kickstarted once again after former Windies T20 World Cup-winning skipper Darren Sammy alleged racism during his stint with SunRisers Hyderabad in the 2014 Indian Premier League. Taking note of Sammy's revelation, Gayle tweeted: "It's never too late to fight for the right cause or what you've experienced over the years! So much more to your story, @darensammy88. Like I said, it's in the game".

Earlier, Gayle had also revealed that he too has been a victim of racism, and added that racism is something that has been bothering cricket as well.

On Tuesday, Sammy had released a video specifying that the racial slurs against him were used within the SunRisers camp.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn't know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

Ever since the demise of Floyd, protests erupted from the demonstrations in cities from San Francisco to Boston.

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News Network
April 26,2020

New Delhi, Apr 26: The idea of having a full-fledged women's IPL is in a "progression stage" and a World Cup title for India can actually help in turning that into a reality sooner than later, says former captain Anjum Chopra.

Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian team sailed into the final of the last women's T20 World Cup, but was thrashed by home favourites and defending champions Australia when it mattered the most.

Chopra, one of the country's most decorated women cricketers, said a World Cup title triumph would have brought about a generational shift to the women's game in cricket-mad India.

"Women's IPL in the progression stages. From one game at the start we had four last year in the Women's T20 Challenge, and this time it was supposed to be seven. It has progressed," Chopra said.

"If the women's team had won the World Cup this year, the number of matches would have been more. There is a big difference between winners and runners up."

Chopra had a successful career spanning over 17 years during which she represented India in six World Cups while becoming the first woman cricket to appear in 100 One-day Internationals.

She added, "A victory (in final of last T20 World Cup) would have been a complete generational shift in a much more progressional manner."

Referring to the rapid strides the women's game has made the world over, she praised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for "consciously building it up".

"ICC has bifurcated viewership numbers also very well for Indian audience."

The icing on the cake was a near-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the World Cup final between India and Australia, and that was not lost on Chopra, who is now a respected analyst and sportscaster.

"To have 80,000 people watching the final that's commendable. That definitely a boost," said Chopra, who holds the distinction of leading India to their first ever Test series win.

A World Cup triumph and the "mind set would have gone to different level altogether", she believed.

Asked about the chatter around pay disparity in Indian cricket, her simple message was win more to earn more.

"There is already pay parity in Australia. Because both teams have won the World Cups more than any other nations.

"If you start winning, then I am sure things will be different. It's also about how much you are able to generate as a team.

"I would say sky is the limit for them."

With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing sporting activities to a standstill, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the fate of many big events lined up in the near future.

While the IPL has been put on hold indefinitely, the pandemic has thrown the men's T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November in Australia, into doubt.

"There has been a suggestion that if we are hosting the World Cup in October, then play the IPL as preparation ground for World Cup."

That is only if the situation improves in the coming times.

"It's difficult to see, to gauge where sport will be after this. For sure it is not going to be where it was before. Even if it opens up tomorrow it couldn't be the same.

"Can sports people can get back to work without worry? We don't know when this is going to be under control."

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News Network
July 23,2020

New Delhi, Jul 23: With one year to go for the Olympic Games to begin in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, Indian women's hockey team skipper Rani Rampal on Thursday said the side has performed well against top teams in recent times and can do the same at the Olympics.

The Indian team has competed well against top teams in the recent past and has registered memorable victories at the FIH Series Finals and the FIH Olympic Qualifiers last year.

"We have competed against top teams in the recent past and we have shown that our team has the capability of winning a medal and making our country proud at the Olympics. We have a good group of experienced players, who are guiding the junior players very well. Our team has been getting better with each tournament we have played and we will definitely improve our game even further in the next one year," said the 25-year-old said in a statement.

Speaking about her participation at the Olympics, Rani said that the experience will help her make better decisions at the Tokyo Olympics.

"It was great to be a part of the Olympics in Rio. We made history by qualifying for the tournament after 36 years. It was a great feeling to be playing at the biggest of stages. Even though we didn't register the best of results, I have certainly learned a lot by playing the Olympic Games matches in 2016. I am sure all the players, who played in the 2016 Olympics, will make much better decisions on the pitch at the Tokyo Olympics, based on their experience in Rio," she said.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, while the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5, 2021.  

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