Irfan Pathan Backs Gautam Gambhir To ‘Instil Team Culture’ In India Squad

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has backed head coach Gautam Gambhir in his effort to remove the “star culture” that existed in the national team, restoring a team-first ethos in the Men in Blue. “For me, team culture is very important,” Pathan said, speaking to Lallantop. “As long as Gambhir is the coach, he will fully bring in the team culture.”

Pathan praised the current Indian setup of trying to get rid of past practices, where big names were repeatedly given chances despite underwhelming results. “Here, a player keeps failing for three, four, five years, but still gets opportunities because he is a big name,” Pathan said. “Somewhere, you have to put a full stop.”

This is not the first time that the former India all-rounder has defended Gambhir’s support of the Indian players. After India’s emphatic win at the Edgbaston Test match during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, Pathan said that Gambhir “gets hate unnecessarily”.

“He also wants to make decisions that benefit the team,” Pathan had said at that time.

Irfan Pathan Heaps Praise On Ajit Agarkar

In his interview with Lallantop, Irfan Pathan also heaped praise on Ajit Agarkar, who is the chairman of selectors, highlighting the collaborative decision-making under him. “The other person who deserves credit is Chairman Ajit Agarkar. Today, no decision can be taken solely by coach or selector,” Pathan said.

“If two strong individuals (Gambhir and Agarkar) come together, the team moves in the right direction. I believe these two are heading in the right direction… for team culture,” he added.

Under Gambhir and Agarkar, the Indian cricket team has undergone significant changes. Gambhir has supported a merit-driven selection process, with one all-format captain and no designated finisher.