Gautam Gambhir came out strongly in defense of young pacer Harshit Rana, after India sealed a seven-wicket Test series win over the West Indies. (AFP photo)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir came out strongly in defense of young pacer Harshit Rana on Tuesday at the Feroz Shah Kotla, after India sealed a seven-wicket Test series win over the West Indies. Gambhir’s comments came in response to criticism from former World Cup winner and ex-chief selector K Srikkanth, who had questioned Rana’s inclusion in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.The controversy began after Srikkanth released a video on his YouTube channel slamming the 23-year-old Delhi pacer’s selection.“Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected. There is only one permanent member – Harshit Rana. Nobody knows why he is there in the team. You don’t pick someone irrespective if they do well and take others even if they don’t,” Srikkanth had said in his video.Gambhir, clearly displeased, took exception to what he viewed as a personal attack on the youngster.“Look, it’s a little shameful, and I’ll be honest with you. It’s unfair that you are not even sparing a 23-year-old kid to run your YouTube channels. It’s unfair because, after all, his father is not some ex-chairman, an ex-cricketer, or an NRI,” Gambhir told reporters. “Whatever cricket he has played, he has played on his own merit, and in the future too, he will play on his own merit.”Expressing concern over the mental toll such criticism can take on emerging players, the head coach added, “Targeting someone individually is not fair. You can target someone for their performance, and for that, there are people… there are selectors.”He further urged critics to be mindful of Rana’s youth and inexperience.“When you say such things to a 23-year-old kid, and then social media amplifies it even more, just imagine his mindset when he hears all this. Tomorrow, even your kid could end up playing for the country. The the least one can do is realize that he is not 33 years old; he is just 23. You can criticize me; I can handle it. But a 23-year-old boy is a 23-year-old boy, and this is unacceptable,” Gambhir said.Gambhir also appealed to commentators and fans to uphold their “moral responsibility” towards Indian cricket, urging them to focus on performances rather than personal attacks.Rana has steadily grown into a three-format player for India, having made his Test debut in Perth during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last November, followed by appearances in ODIs and T20Is against England earlier this year.
