Opinion

Anil Kumble calls for different teams for red and white-ball cricket

Written by Sumit Seth

Former India captain Anil Kumble has called for different teams for red and white-ball cricket. Team India crashed out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after losing to eventual champions England in the semi-finals.

“Definitely, you need separate teams. You need, certainly, T20 specialists,” said Kumble. 

“I think what this English team has shown and even the last (T20) World Cup champions Australia have shown is that you need to invest in a lot of all-rounders. Look at the batting order. Today, Liam Livingstone is batting at No. 7. No other team has a No. 7 of the quality of Livingstone. (Marcus) Stoinis walks in at No. 6 (for Australia). That’s the kind of team you have to build. That’s something that you need to invest in,” Kumble added.

The legendary spinner said a different captain or coach may not be the need of the hour, insisting that team selection is paramount. 

“I’m not really sure whether you need a different captain or a different coach. It all depends on what team you are going to pick and then choose how you want to build the support and the leadership around it,” said Kumble.

About the author

Sumit Seth