New Delhi: Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary slammed India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate for his recent comments on senior batter Rohit Sharma after he failed in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday. Ten Doeschate had questioned Rohit’s form and his preparedness after he was dismissed cheaply on 24 off 38 balls in the 2nd ODI.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ten Doeschate said the pitch at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in Rajkot wasn’t suited to Rohit’s style of batting and that the senior India batter was ‘a little bit short on cricket’ in the lead up to the series. Many felt that Doeschate’s comments were demoralising as he questioned Rohit’s preparedness.
His comments sparked a debate on social media, with many criticising the India assistant coach. Tiwary recently hit back at Doeschate over his remarks on the Hitman and said the assistant coach should think before speaking. Taking a jibe at Doeschate, Tiwary said the former Ireland cricketer didn’t achieve even five per cent of what Rohit has as a player.
“With a lot of respect, I would like to tell Ryan ten Doeschate that he was with me for four years at KKR. No doubt he is a very good person, but the kind of comment he has made, I think, he should have thought about it. He has also played international cricket for the Netherlands. If you look at his performance in international cricket, I am saying this with all due respect, it is not even 5% of what Rohit has achieved in his career, not just as a batter but also as a captain,” Tiwary told PTI.
Tiwary played alongside Doeschate during his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former India cricketer said Doeschate should refelect on his comments as he was speaking about an active player and a someone of the stature of Rohit, who has enjoyed a distinguised career for India and led the team to a memorable triumph in the Champions Trophy last year.
“He (Rohit) has given the nation so much happiness by winning the Champions Trophy also and after that, talking like this, that too when he is in the team, not like he is sitting at home and commenting, he is a part of the management, and telling like this about your player is demoralising. I don’t know why he said that. He has to reflect on this. I feel he must not make such comments,” Tiwary added.