Madan Lal, a former cricketer who now serves as a selector for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has said that he would never have let the Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant lead the Indian team since the position involves responsibility and Pant is still young.
Pant’s captaincy was contrasted with the leadership styles of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, and the former BCCI selector stressed the fact that he would need at least two more years before he could be regarded as a serious candidate for the leadership job. Pant led India to a 2-2 tie with South Africa in the just-completed Twenty20 International series.
Becoming the captain of India is a prestigious honor: Madan Lal
“I would have prevented him from being promoted to the position of captain. They would never have agreed to it. Such a player will eventually need to be trusted with this duty. Becoming the captain of India is a prestigious position. He is still a juvenile. He has no plans to leave any time soon. The longer he plays, the more mature he will become,” Madan Lal said to SportsTak
“If over the next two years he can take his game to the next level, then he has the potential to be a fine captain and has the maturity to deal with problems as they arise. This player is of a different breed than the others. MS Dhoni was known for being a calm and collected captain, qualities that served him well in his role. Virat Kohli is a fantastic batsman for India. I’m not suggesting that Pant shouldn’t be swinging his bat, but it would be fantastic if he could play with a little bit more maturity,” Lal said.
It is important to point out that Pant has been subjected to a significant amount of criticism for his performances in the just-finished five-match Twenty20 International series played at home against the Proteas. Pant was given the role of acting captain when it was determined that KL Rahul would not be able to return from his groin injury in time to continue the series.
After losing the first two matches in the series, the Men in Blue were able to even the score by tying it at 2-2, but the critical final match could not be played because it rained too heavily in Bengaluru. Pant could not manage to deliver any significant performance with the bat, even though he was the captain of the team.
