Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif has raised eyebrows with his recent comments regarding the Indian team management. He pointed out their lack of success in securing ICC titles over the last decade. While Team India has undeniably been a dominant force in international cricket, it’s worth noting that they haven’t clinched an ICC championship in the last ten years.
Despite participating in nine global tournaments since their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy, they haven’t been able to capture another major trophy.
As the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 approaches, led by Rohit Sharma and his teammates, they will once again attempt to change their fortunes. Prior to the World Cup, they will also be vying for the Asia Cup title, with the tournament commencing later this month.
In his recent YouTube video, Rashid Latif voiced his thoughts, suggesting that the Indian cricket team’s inability to secure an ICC trophy in the last decade stems from internal challenges. Latif specifically pointed out the removal of Kohli from the captaincy and the team’s ongoing struggles with their top-order as contributing factors to their consistent lack of success in global tournaments.
Latif mentioned that Virat Kohli had a clear direction and a strong desire to win, but unfortunately, he was removed from his captaincy role.
“Virat Kohli had a direction and wanted to win, but he was sacked,” Latif said.
He added that the team’s performance suffered due to internal problems. He said India’s struggles in ICC tournaments could potentially be attributed to the captain not obtaining the preferred players, or even if he did, their talents weren’t effectively utilized.
Looking ahead, Latif highlighted two significant upcoming events: the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and Pakistan simultaneously and the World Cup on home soil. He expressed confidence that the team, which remains quite strong, will identify a suitable player for the no.4 position.
According to Latif, the challenge arises when the top-3 batters are dismissed swiftly. He pointed out that if the top-3 batsmen manage to play through 25-30 overs, victory should come easily. He said the concern lies in the fact that the top-3 hasn’t been performing at their previous level.
Latif suggested that bringing back Shikhar Dhawan could have been an option, considering he had been made captain less than a year ago during a tour. He observed that there were players available, but the team seemed to be moving them around without a consistent approach.
Preparations for the upcoming ICC event, scheduled to commence on October 5 in Ahmedabad, are already in full swing for India. In a recent series against the West Indies, led by Rohit Sharma and his team, they managed to secure a 2-1 victory in the 3-match ODI series. Looking ahead, the team’s next engagement is set for September 2 when they will face Pakistan in the Asia Cup, hosted in Sri Lanka.
