Shahid Afridi, Dale Steyn react to Gautam Gambhir's appointment as Indian coach

Former cricketers praise Gambhir's potential impact as India's new head coach, highlighting his cricketing acumen

Former Pakistani cricket star Shahid Afridi has voiced his reaction to the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team. This follows the announcement made by Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Wednesday.

Afridi, a former captain of Pakistan, commented on Gambhir's appointment, stating, "Gautam Gambhir speaks positively and straightforwardly." He added, "Gautam Gambhir has a big opportunity ahead of him, and it will depend on him how he makes the best use of it."

Meanwhile, former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn also weighed in on Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the Indian head coach, describing him as a "huge admirer" of the former batsman.

Steyn remarked, "I find Gambhir intense on the field but off the field, he carries himself with dignity. He is a very astute cricketer who will prove invaluable as the coach of the Indian team."

It is noteworthy that Gautam Gambhir played a crucial role in India's victory in the 2011 ICC World Cup final against Sri Lanka, scoring 97 runs and contributing significantly to India's title win after 28 years.

Since his ODI debut in 2003, Gautam Gambhir amassed more than 10,000 runs during his illustrious international career spanning 13 years for India.

Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as coach will be the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka at the end of this month, which includes three ODIs and three T20Is.