Ravi Shastri is an extremely interesting character. Having worked as commentator helps as well for the kind of things he comes up with in media. After once famously saying “Thodi der ke liye goti muh mein tha”, Shastri has now said that he is not only in the team to play “Tabla”, which is hilarious, to say the least.
Ravi Shastri (India’s head coach) and Vikram Rathour (India’s batting coach) were criticized by some former cricketers for pulling up 21 years old Rishabh Pant in media at a time when he is already struggling to get things going and is facing immense scrutiny. Ravi Shastri has hit back at his critics and also said that the team will be backing “match-winner” Rishabh Pant to the “hilt”.
Shastri had earlier remarked that Pant will get a “rap on the knuckles” if he keeps repeating his mistakes.
Defending his earlier statement, Ravi Shastri told Hindustan Times, “Don’t say team management, I spoke about ‘the rap on the knuckles’. If someone goofs up, I have to pull them up. Am I there only to play tabla? But this guy is world class, this guy can be destructive, can be a destroyer. And we will give him all the support that he needs to prosper in international cricket,”
“Pant is different, he is world-class and is a brutal match-winner. Very few around in the world game; I can’t pick five on my hands when it comes to white-ball cricket, T20 cricket. So the patience we will have with him is a lot.
“All your media reports and all the experts writing (but) Pant is in great space with this Indian team. Experts, they have a job, they can speak. Pant is a special kid and he has already done enough. And he is only going to learn. This team management will back him to the hilt,” he added.