Kapil Dev: Gautam Gambhir Is a Manager, Not a Coach

Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain, shared his views on the evolving role of a head coach in modern cricket. He believes that the job is now more about managing players effectively rather than traditional coaching. His comments come amid scrutiny of Gautam Gambhir's methods.

Gambhir has faced criticism, particularly after India's 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa. His strategies, including frequent player rotations and using part-time players, have drawn fire. Kapil Dev addressed these issues at the Indian Chamber of Commerce ICC Centenary Session, suggesting that the term 'coach' is often misinterpreted in today's cricketing environment.

"Gautam Gambhir can't be a coach. He can be a manager of the team," Kapil Dev stated. He elaborated on his understanding of the term "coach", explaining, "When you say coach, coach is where I learn in school and college. Those were the people, my coaches there. They could manage me."

Kapil Dev further explained the limitations of a coach when players possess specialized skills. "How can you be a coach when they have given a name to, let's say, anybody - a leg spinner? How can Gautam be a coach to a leg spinner or to the wicketkeeper? I think you have to manage. That's more important. As a manager you give them encouragement to say you can do it, because when you become a manager the young boys look up to you," he said. He emphasized the importance of a manager or captain providing support and confidence to the team, especially to players struggling with their performance.

"How can my manager or captain give me that comfort? That's what the manager and captain's job is - to give comfort to the team and always say 'you can do better'. That's the way I look at it." He added that his own approach as captain involved supporting players during difficult times.

Kapil Dev emphasized the importance of supporting players going through a rough patch. "I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well. If somebody made a hundred, I don't want to have a drink and dinner with him," he said. He explained that his focus was on boosting the confidence of those who were underperforming. "There are a lot of people there... As a captain I would like to have a drink with people or have dinner with those who are not performing."

He concluded, "You need to give them confidence, and that's what happens. So I think it's very important as a captain that your role is not only about your performance, but also about putting the team together."