“It’s really difficult”- AB de Villiers says Gautam Gambhir is emotional and emotional coaches aren’t good generally

Gautam Gambhir became the first Indian coach since 2000 to suffer two test series whitewashes at home.

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has expressed his opinions over the harsh criticism directed at Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir following the team’s 0-2 home test series loss to South Africa.

After a devastating loss in New Zealand the year before, this is India’s second test whitewash at home under Gambhir’s leadership.

Many former cricket players and analysts have harshly criticized the present failure, with AB de Villiers’ evaluation of Gambhir’s leadership style being the most dramatic and thought-provoking.

“Generally an emotional coach is not a good thing”- AB de Villiers on Gautam Gambhir

De Villiers balanced concern and perspective in his honest and nuanced evaluation of Gambhir. Based on his years of playing against Gambhir, the legendary South African stated that India’s current coaching conflict may stem from emotions.

“Speaking on behalf of the Indian side, it’s really difficult. I don’t know what GG is like when it comes to leadership. I’ve known him as an emotional player, and if that is the case in the change room, generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have. But it’s not to say he’s that kind of a coach and the kind of leader behind the scenes. There’s no right and wrong. Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that’s never played the game before but he’s got a lot of years of experience of coaching the game,” De Villiers said on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel.

He also admitted that he had never worked directly with Ryan ten Doeschate, Morne Morkel, or Gambhir inside the Indian system, making it difficult to fully judge the internal dynamics.

In sharp contrast, he praised South Africa’s current head coach, Shukri Conrad, for restoring clarity and harmony to the nation.

“It’s a tough question because I’ve never played under Shukri and I’ve never been in the Indian dressing room with GG, Morne Morkel, and Ryan ten Doeschate. It looks great on paper but I don’t know what the dynamic is like behind the scenes. What I can say is it is different for every player,” De Villiers added.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.