Basit Ali orders Gautam Gambhir to follow Aaqib Javed’s philosophy and drop Kohli, Rohit

India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series against Australia, which was their first loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Australian soil in a decade. With their remarkable Test series win, Australia ended their ten-year drought of claiming the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India’s batting, once their strength, crumbled under pressure in Australia. Throughout the five-match Test series, the Indian top order faltered, with Virat Kohli managing only 190 runs across five matches, while Rohit Sharma could score just 31 runs in three games Down Under.

Gautam Gambhir’s leadership questioned as India crumbles in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

The spotlight has now shifted to coach Gautam Gambhir, who is facing intense criticism over his leadership. Under his tenure, India has already suffered three series defeats in just six months. Gambhir's tactics are being questioned, with many calling for a complete overhaul of his approach.

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Now even former Pakistani cricketers have weighed in with advice for the Indian head coach. Basit Ali, a former Pakistan cricketer, suggested that Gambhir should adopt Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed’s no-nonsense formula after India’s disastrous Australia tour.

Aaqib Javed ended the "superstar culture" in the Pakistan cricket team, treating every player as equal and focusing solely on performance, and Basit Ali said that the time has come for Gambhir to follow Javed's formula. He stressed that performance should be the only criterion for staying in the team.

Gautam Gambhir should adopt Aaqib Javed's philosophy: Basit Ali

The former Pakistan selector has further emphasized that Gambhir must enforce strict accountability, stating that players who don’t respect the game or fail to perform should be shown the door and solely focus on the performance instead of the individual’s stature.

Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel: “It's the best time for Gautam Gambhir to adopt Aaqib Javed's philosophy: 'Cricket ko izzat do; jo cricket ko izzat nahi dega, ta-ta bye-bye (Give respect to cricket; the ones who don't, they will be out of the team). Aaqib ended the superstar culture in the Pakistan team. Those who thought 'I am important,' he told them 'it's your false notion.' He said every player is equal.”

Before Basit, former Indian cricketers Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, and Harbhajan Singh had also urged Team India to step away from the "superstar culture." Even Gambhir touched on a similar topic during a press conference after the Sydney Test. He said that it is his responsibility to treat every player equally, whether it’s a debutant or someone who has played 100 Tests.

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I have to be absolutely honest, equal, and fair to everyone: Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir had stated at the press conference at the SCG, “To keep the dressing room happy, I have to be absolutely honest, equal, and fair to everyone."

Notably, Aaqib Javed was appointed Pakistan coach after Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie were removed as the team’s white-ball and red-ball teams after their disappointing performances in the T20 and ODI World Cups, along with a humiliating Test series loss at home to Bangladesh.