Team India’s T20I tour of the United Kingdom could not have been more catastrophic. The Shreyas Iyer-led side took on Ireland in two T20Is and England in five T20Is, failing to win a single contest. The dismal results have prompted some to suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee should move on from Iyer as the team’s captain in the shortest format. Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who parted ways with the BCCI last year, admitted that the team needs direction going forward, but argued that removing Iyer as captain would be harsh and could trigger chaos.
“When you give someone the mantle of taking over from a champion side, you also want to give him the liberty of picking his side. The first time you become captain, you don’t get the liberty of saying, ‘This is where I want to take the team.’ You first handle the team and then see what you need to do with it. Post these two series, he’ll have time to reflect, understand what he requires from this team, how he needs them to play, and what he needs from the support staff. So, it would be harsh to say that Shreyas Iyer’s future as a captain is in jeopardy,” Nayar said during a chat with JioHotstar.
The tour was Iyer’s first assignment as India’s T20I captain. What arguably made the situation trickier for the skipper was the fact that he was also making his own comeback to the side in the shortest format. Nayar, therefore, urged the management to remain patient with a man who has led his franchises to two consecutive IPL finals, winning one of them.
“It’s been a really hard series, and you can point fingers at Shreyas Iyer, but the more rational thing to do is to understand what he requires from this team. Give him the ownership to feel like this is his team-much like Harry Brook does right now, Ben Stokes did with the England Test team, Rohit Sharma did for India, or Virat Kohli did, especially with the Test side. Only then is it a better place to judge him. Even Shubman Gill, when he first became the ODI captain, didn’t win his first few series. As you come into your own, you build confidence and the team you envision. It’s still early days; there’s no need to press the panic button, but there needs to be clarity as to where this team is going.
“This series has been an eye-opener for them. Whether playing in Ireland or England, it is rare to see a T20 format where teams have so relentlessly targeted you with short balls. Almost every batter was tested with that. It just tells you that England were better prepared than the Indian team, and most importantly, India failed to adapt. I think Australian conditions will be different. India have predominantly done well in Australia because the ball comes onto the bat. There is not as much spongy bounce as they experienced in England. It’s a good wake-up call and a solid reflection of what this team needs to do to win abroad. Come the World Cup, you’ll find a much better-equipped team. A lot of batters will go back and start working on the short ball immediately.”
To conclude, Nayar cautioned the BCCI and selectors against excessive chopping and changing. Instead, he wants the Gautam Gambhir-led management to communicate clearly with the players and outline areas for improvement.
“Axar Patel has been highly successful for India because he could drift the ball back in. But T20 cricket is also about form. When you don’t see that drift, it usually has something to do with his action or the volume of cricket he’s played. Axar has bowled so many tough overs now that it was easy for England to target him. He will find his form shortly, but India have also not been very consistent with their spinners. Kuldeep Yadav picks up wickets but has been in and out, while Varun Chakaravarthy has had a rough couple of months with injuries. Sairaj Bahutule and the support staff need to work with these guys with the future in mind, rather than discarding them. Tell the players what you expect from them and where you want them to get better. When you lose, you need to create direction, not chaos.”