'You lose once, pens and pistols come out, sometimes it's acidic' - Ravi Shastri on criticism team India faces

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has opened up on the criticism he and the team faced during his tenure at the helm. Shastri’s stint as the head coach ended with India crashing out of the T20 World Cup in the Super 12 stage and he has now slammed the critics stating that the team had to face harsh criticism at times despite winning so much over the last seven years.

Ravi Shastri was appointed as India head coach in 2017 and his contract was extended again after 2019 World Cup till the T20 World Cup. Along with him, the tenure of bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar also ended. The duo decided not to continue on the positions despite doing a great job while at the helm.

Coming back to Shastri slamming critics, he stated that it is time now for him to be the judge after people judged him for seven years of his life. “I was judged for 7 years of my life that was under public scrutiny. Time for me to sit on the judge’s chair and judge some of these people,” he said while speaking to Republic World.

You just got to take it on the chin, says Ravi Shastri on criticism

Ravi Shastri also noted the immense following of the sport in India and felt that criticism is bound to happen when the team loses. However, he also pointed out that so much scrutiny can sometimes be very harsh on the team and there is no option for them but to move on.

“In India, Cricket is a religion. You win 5 games and then when you lose, pistols and pens come out, and sometimes it’s acidic. You just got to take it on the chin. We won so much, people weren’t used to us losing. To take the bullet is the job of the coach. You overcome all those hurdles, you don’t let it pull you down. You have to ensure the team gives their best. Take criticism along the way and move on,” Shastri added.