'Selectors don't want to be villains by brutally ending a great's career': Ajit Agarkar's job deemed bigger than Gambhir

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's performances left much to be desired in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Their dismal run with the bat paved the way for India to lose the Test series against Australia after 10 years. The duo has not played domestic cricket for years now, and their poor run has resulted in fans and pundits advising them to go back to the grind and play the Ranji Trophy. Sanjay Manjrekar believes the role of a selector is more important than the head coach. (PTI)

In the aftermath of the Test series against Australia, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar discussed the "icon culture" within the country's cricket ecosystem and how it can drag the team down. He also talked about why a selector's role is bigger than the head coach's.

Kohli managed just 190 runs in 9 innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite scoring a ton in Perth, Kohli struggled in the series and was dismissed in the same fashion, chasing wide deliveries bowled well outside off. On the other hand, Rohit's run was more woeful, scoring 31 runs in 5 innings.

Rohit's run was so poor that the Indian captain decided to "stand down" from the Sydney Test. Manjrekar also cited the 2011-12 season as an example, during which India lost 0-4 against England and Australia.

"The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011-12 or now, it’s the same scenario that gets played out -- iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances," Manjrekar wrote in a column for Hindustan Times.

"Thing is, when it comes to the big players, we as a country are just not able to stay rational. Emotions run high and those in positions to take decisions on these players are influenced by this climate. Cricketing logic goes out of the window, and then the selectors hope the player leaves on his own so that they don’t look like the villains who brutally ended the career of a great who millions of fans worship. They just fear the backlash," he added.

'Selector makes more difference than a coach'

Manjrekar also said that a selector has a bigger role than the head coach. It is important to state that Gautam Gambhir and his support staff face criticism after India's recent poor show in Tests.

While referring to how the current management refrains from using the word "dropped" in selection calls, Manjrekar said, "By sugarcoating the dropping of a player, the team management squanders the opportunity to make a critical statement---that it’s about the value you add on the field and not your brand value. Actually, we don’t realise how impactful the job of a selector is. He can make a far bigger difference to the fortunes of the India team than any coach can, that is if he does his job right. Our media gives the coach far too much attention and importance."

"But now comes the tough part---can the committee actually take a tough decision in sync with their observations? For Mr Ajit Agarkar to take a pure cricketing decision no matter who the player is, we have to make his job easier. Us as former cricketers, the media, the administrators, and the fans who are the most influential force, must put Indian cricket ahead of an Indian great. Australia does not wait for a player to retire; they drop him before he becomes a huge liability," he added.

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