The Indian leadership should make the right decisions in the key moments and back the right players to get success in the upcoming series in Australia, said the former South African captain Graeme Smith on Friday.
Delivering his lecture in the second Jagmohan Dalmiya annual conclave hosted by the Cricket Association of Bengal, Smith said the Indian team had the talent to overturn any opposition in any condition but for that to happen the leadership — including the captain and the coach — will have to back the right players to seize the key moments.
“I know India will be disappointed for not having won the Test series in South Africa or England this year. When I see this Indian team from both the batting and bowling perspectives, I think it has the right environment and can challenge both the oppositions (SA and England). So they have some lesson to take when they go to Australia,” he said.
“I think if the selection panel and the captain and the coach can get the right combination in place and if from the leadership perspective the right decisions are made in right time, then I think India will be successful in Australia. It is important for the leadership to learn the lessons and take the right decision to back the right players. Like Ajinkya Rahane not playing in Cape Town (in the first Test in January this year) is one of the decisions, if taken, could have changed the nature of the results. India certainly has the talent and the ability to do well in Australia,” Smith added.
Exciting talents
Simth was quite impressed with the development happening in India.
“To watch Indian cricket now is so exciting. For me India is producing some of the most exciting talents across the board. Be it the youngsters in the IPL like Rishabh Panth, who has the confidence to play his own natural game. That is what we all want to do. I think the exposure in the IPL and the hard work that is being done at the grassroots level and the appointment of Rahul Dravid as the u-19 level are all contributing to the developemnt of Indian cricket,” he said.
The former South African captain lamented the lack of balanced development in his country but was very excited about some of the bowlers.
“There is lot of talent in south African cricket but there is a big gap between the national team and the domestic team. In the current team we are lucky have a lot of talent in the likes of (Kagiso) Rabada, (Lungi) Ngidi are terrific and Dayle Steyn is making a comeback from injury.
“Then in the short format you have Keshav Maharaj and Imran Tahir. Form the bowling perspective we should be really good in the coming days,” he said.
“From the batting perspective, I have my worries but feel some people will step up in the coming days. I can single out two players, Quinton de Kock and Chris Moris, who can have big years,” Smith said.
