Head coach Gautam Gambhir is certainly an integral part of India’s decision-making in terms of plans, tactics, strategies and team selection. However, his role is more of a manager than a coach, believes Kapil Dev.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Indian Chamber of Commerce Centenary Session at a city hotel on Thursday, the all-round great and India’s first World Cup-winning captain said: “Gautam Gambhir’s role cannot be that of a coach. His role is more of a manager.
“How can Gambhir be a coach to a leg-spinner or for that matter, a wicketkeeper? The role of a coach (of an international side) is to manage the players well and give them the confidence, which also leads to young players looking up to him.
“His role is to give the players that level of comfort and telling them, ‘Yes, you can do better,’ even when they haven’t done well or going through a lean patch.”
Talking about leadership, Kapil emphasised that a captain’s job is to pacify especially those players who are struggling to perform.
“A captain should comfort those players who aren’t playing too well.
“As a captain, I would like to have a drink or get down to eat with people who haven’t been performing, not just with those scoring centuries. That’s how you help them gain back their confidence. A captain’s job is not just about performance, but putting the team together is a bigger priority,” Kapil said.
Ego has no place in a team, Kapil categorically mentioned. “If your ego is bigger than the team’s interests, you don’t deserve a place in the team then.
“No captain should be having an ego that’s bigger than the interests of his team. If ego means everything for you, it’s stupid then. To me, my team is much more important than the interests of a senior player,” Kapil elaborated.
Former India Women’s captain Mithali Raj, who was also present at the event, acknowledged that she grew in maturity when reappointed captain later in her career.
“I was much more flexible and a lot more open to suggestions and opinions than I was in my first captaincy stint at 22 years of age. Everybody viewed the game differently, which had to be considered,” she stated.
