LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricketer Tanveer Ahmed has come down heavily on the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, calling it a case of ‘Parchi’.
The term ‘Parchi’ suggests selection based on connections or referrals rather than merit.
Tanveer took to the social media platform ‘X’ where he claimed that VVS Laxman was a deserving candidate for the position of head coach due to his extensive work with the young players in the India B team.
“VVS Laxman should have become the head coach of the Indian team as he was with the India B team as a coach for a long time. It seems as if Gautam Gambhir’s appointment was a case of ‘Parchi’,” wrote Tanveer.
Gautam Gambhir was appointed after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended following India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
This marked a new chapter for the team, with seniors like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma announcing their retirement from T20Is.
Despite consideration of other candidates such as WV Raman and National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman, Gambhir emerged as the chosen one.
On Tuesday, newly appointed head coach Gambhir began his duties as the Indian men’s cricket team began their first training session ahead of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.