Former India pace legend Zaheer Khan has hit out at Sunil Gavaskar’s philosophy of playing to the situation and not just following his instincts while addressing the criticism Rishabh Pant faced for his risky shot choices in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025.
Braving criticism and pressure, Zaheer Khan strongly defended Rishabh Pant’s approach to batting despite heavy criticism for careless shots. “Stupid, stupid, stupid” said Sunil Gavaskar after the Indian wicket-keeper lost his wicket to an uncharacteristic throw on Day 3 of the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Zaheer Khan defends Rishabh Pant’s instinctive batting despite heavy criticism from Sunil Gavaskar
Reacting to Gavaskar’s scathing attack on Pant, the former Indian pacer felt the criticism was misplaced. Zaheer feels that every player, not just Rishabh Pant, should be given the freedom to follow their instincts and play their natural game.
Zaheer Khan was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying, “When it comes to batting, I will give freedom to every batsman in this squad, not just Rishabh. And get your instincts back. Everyone has played the game at different levels long enough to know how the game has evolved.”
Meanwhile, Zahir, who will work with Pant at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025, stressed that his philosophy is to simplify the decision-making process and play with the team’s wicketkeeper. He once again emphasized that decisions should come from instinct.
Zaheer Khan calls for freedom and simplicity in decision-making
The former Indian pacer pointed out that winning or losing is a collective outcome in the game of cricket, so the key to success lies in trusting the players to take real-time decisions and giving them the much-needed freedom. they express themselves on the field without fear of judgement.
Zaheer Khan believes that freedom is the most important element of the game to develop and succeed. He urged the players to trust their instincts and stick to the day, no matter how much their calls were criticized.
Zahir said, “My philosophy is related to the game played on the field and you want to make a decision at that moment. And decision-making should not be confused. This should be done with simplicity and instinct at that stage, keeping in mind the team’s goal. You win collectively and you lose collectively. So when you play a team sport, you just go with what the team asks of you in that situation. Everyone will have this freedom.”
Rishabh Pant is set to make a comeback in Indian colors against England
It may be noted that Rishabh Pant had a tough time during India’s recent Test tour to Australia. The left-handed batsman scored just 255 runs in five matches at an average of just 28.33, for which many blamed his batting selection. He only managed to score a fifty in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
The Indian wicketkeeper will next be seen in the three-match ODI series against England on February 6, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
