Mumbai, February 11: Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has voiced his concerns over Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s “excessive flexible approach” in the white-ball setup, cautioning that too much experimentation and frequent changes could lead to player insecurity. While acknowledging that flexibility is important, Zaheer stressed the need for clear communication and structured guidelines to maintain squad stability. IND vs ENG 3rd ODI 2025 Preview: Virat Kohli’s Form in Focus As India Cricket Team Eyes ODI Clean-Sweep Over England.

“You’ve said that you’ve got to have flexibility. Number one and two will be there, but the others are going to be flexible. Within that flexibility, some rules also apply. There are certain protocols you have to follow. Certain communication needs to happen, which is going to streamline things. Otherwise, you are creating insecurity, which at some stage will come back and hurt you," Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.

Zaheer further emphasised that a well-structured system is essential to ensure the team functions smoothly and adapts to the evolving demands of modern cricket.

“That’s why I said recency bias is very strong right now. The situation has become dynamic if you compare Rahul Dravid’s approach and Gautam Gambhir’s approach. You can say it’s good, bad, or ugly—or you can say, how do we adapt? Each individual, whether it’s the senior management, the think tank, players, or selectors, will have to gauge it and streamline the system for the wheel to turn properly,” he added. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Paul Reiffel, Richard Illingworth Named On-Field Umpires for India vs Pakistan Game.

Despite these concerns, Team India has been in formidable form under Gambhir’s leadership. They recently secured a 4-1 victory in the T20I series against England and currently hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series. The final ODI will be played on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where India will look to complete a series whitewash.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 11, 2025 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).