"Players should also take responsibility” - Ravi Shastri's big statement on India’s 0-2 whitewash against South Africa

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that no single individual should be targeted and that players must also take responsibility for the losses. His statement came in the wake of India’s whitewash by South Africa in the two-game home Test series last month.

In a YouTube podcast with Prabhat Khabar, released on Saturday, December 6, Shastri emphasized that both the team management and players share responsibility for the outcomes. He said:

“So when results come, one thing the public should remember is that players should also take responsibility. It should not be that you target one individual. It has happened to me, that is why I am speaking from experience. So it is not that the players also don’t get the rap on the knuckles when something like this happens. There should be pride. They should feel hurt that we have lost. Until that happens, things will not move forward.”

“Everyone, right from the team management to the players, you can’t single out one person. It’s a collective decision. South Africa defeated India; no single player defeated India. South Africa played well as a team. Where did we play?” he added.

Meanwhile, the Test series win was South Africa’s first on Indian soil since 2000.

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“Players should feel hurt” - Ravi Shastri on atmosphere in dressing room following loss to South Africa

In the same interaction, Ravi Shastri emphasized that players should feel disappointed with their performance and acknowledge the mistakes they made. He added that this approach would help them reflect on what they could have done differently and prepare better for the future. Ravi Shastri said:

“Players should feel hurt. They should take pride in their performance and raise their hand to say that yes, I made this mistake. Admitting a mistake is very important rather than going in circles giving excuses. You have to do that because it will only make you a better human being. It will make you realise, it will make you a better player. Next time around, you might think, ‘What could I have done?’ That is the first question. Not ‘I played like this,’ but ‘What could I have done differently? What could have been another way to avoid it? Maybe sweep, maybe play some other shots. Practice it, prepare.”

India currently sit fourth in the ICC Test rankings with 104 rating points.