"He does not have the right demeanour": Manjrekar urges BCCI to keep Gambhir away from press meets

Following India men's cricket team head coach's press conference ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hit out at Gautam Gambhir and said that he does not have the "right demeanour" to do such duties. Earlier on Monday, Gambhir held a press conference ahead of India's departure for Australia. The India head coach covered almost all the crucial points from whether Rohit Sharma will be travelling for the Perth Test to Ricky Ponting's criticism of Kohli and Rohit.

Taking on his official X handle, Manjrekar lambasted India's head coach and said that Gambhir should work behind the scenes. He added that Gambhir doesn't have the right words while interacting with media. He further added that India skipper Rohit Sharma and the chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee Ajit Agarkar are "much better" at doing press conferences.

"Just watched Gambhir in the press conference. May be wise for @BCCI to keep him away from such duties, let him work behind the scenes. He does not have the right demeanour nor the words when interacting with them. Rohit & Agarkar, much better guys to front up for the media," Manjrekar wrote on X.

Just watched Gambhir in the press conference.
May be wise for @BCCI to keep him away from such duties, let him work behind the scenes. He does not have the right demeanour nor the words when interacting with them. Rohit & Agarkar, much better guys to front up for the media.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 11, 2024

Despite the recent setbacks in Test cricket, Gambhir's focus remained on guiding the team through upcoming challenges and continuing to strive for success on the international stage. Following India's scrappy performance against New Zealand on home soil, the road to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final has become tough for Gambhir's side.

With a 3-0 series whitewash, India need to win the series by 4-0 to confirm their place in the WTC 2023-2025 final, which will take place in London's iconic Lord's. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick off on November 22 in Perth. The second Test will take place at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The Gabba in Brisbane will host the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage. The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series. (ANI)