They are also human beings: Ravi Shastri on Team India facing heavy criticism

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has taken a stand for the current crop of players in the Indian team after Rohit Sharma and co. faced heavy criticism following their embarrassing T20 World Cup semifinal defeat.

Even former Indian captain Virat Kohli faced the heat from fans when he wasn't in the best of form. Shastri feels that the players these days know that this is a part and parcel of the game as the fans are passionate and will have expectations.

However, while speaking to journalist Vimal Kumar on the latter's YouTube channel, Ravi Shastri also explained why it is important for fans to understand that players aren't machines. He said:

"No one has escaped criticism. There were times when Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, and even Dhoni faced scrutiny. This is because the expectations are so high and we Indians are a sentimental lot. But we should also know that they are also human beings and you can't expect them to perform all the time."

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Ravi Shastri on the need for playing format-specialist players for India

Ravi Shastri feels that India has enough depth in talent to afford to play specific players only in specific formats. He believes that with time, there might be very few Indian players who play multiple formats.

However, the former coach also spoke about the importance of batting in the same position in the IPL as well as at the international level. He stated:

"The depth of talent and volume is so much that we can definitely plan (to change brand of cricket) and also pick specialist players for ODI and T20I team. We should pick players who have performed at that specific number in the IPL. You shouldn't ask someone who opens in IPL to come and bat No.6 for India, because it is tough."

It will be interesting to see the kind of squad that the new selection committee picks going forward.