Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has voiced his criticism of Rohit Sharma's captaincy for the Indian team, drawing comparisons to the leadership of MS Dhoni during his tenure as India's captain.
With the 2023 World Cup tournament set to take place in India, the hopes of millions of fans are riding on the Men in Blue to break their dry spell of ICC trophies. The last time they clinched a major title was in 2013 when they emerged victorious in the Champions Trophy held in England, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
In recent years, India's performance in ICC tournaments has been disappointing, with a series of losses under the captaincy of both Virat Kohli and, more recently, Rohit Sharma. Notably, India was eliminated in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 and faced defeat in the final of the ICC WTC 2023, both under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.
During a conversation on Backstage With Boria, Akhtar openly acknowledged the immense pressure that the Indian team will face in the upcoming World Cup. Fans have set their expectations sky-high, demanding nothing short of bringing home the coveted trophy.
"First of all, it is the pressure that you all put on the team. It is almost impossible to play with such pressure. Like I told you, it is as if you can't lose. If you, God forbid, lose, all hell will break loose," he said.
Akhtar proceeded to illustrate his point by using the example of MS Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team. He emphasized how Dhoni skillfully managed pressure and played a crucial role in elevating the performance of the entire Indian team.
"The second and more important point is you had someone who could soak in all the pressure, and protect his teammates. He would not let his teammates feel the pressure, and that was the best thing about MS Dhoni. You won the 2007 World T20 under him, the 2011 World Cup, and then the 2013 Champions Trophy. The moment Dhoni gave up the captaincy, things went south for India,” Shoaib added.
He expressed his opinion on Rohit Sharma's captaincy tenure, stating that he has observed the Mumbaikar succumb to panic on certain occasions and struggle to handle pressure during crucial moments. To enhance his leadership skills, it is imperative for him to improve in these areas.
“When I see Rohit, I keep asking this question of myself if he should have accepted captaincy in the first place. I think Rohit feels the panic on occasion and lets pressure get to him. The pressure of captaincy cripples you, and it happened with Virat Kohli also. That's why you don't win a major tournament," Akhtar opined.
India is set to commence its World Cup journey on October 8th, as they face off against Australia in the vibrant city of Chennai.
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