Gambhir Says That Playing For India Will Always Remain On Top Of Agenda

Ever since Gautam Gambhir took the field for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League with a shoulder injury, there has been a raging debate about whether the current crop of Indian cricketers value playing for their franchise more than their country.

However, for Gambhir himself, the club versus country debate means nothing and answering the critics is not his concern.

"I don't want to answer anyone. It is all about being clear to your own conscience. The passion of playing for the country and the joy of representing every Indian across the world can never be replicated. Wearing the blue jerseys means a lot," he told MAIL TODAY on the sidelines of the India Today Youth Summit.

Referring to his decision to make himself unavailable for the Champions League T20 qualifiers, Gambhir said: "It was purely a medical call taken by my doctor. If he had given me the green signal to play, I would have been out their leading KKR."

"All the talk about players being ready to fulfil club commitments doesn't hold true in this case as I will not get any extra money for playing in the Champions League.

"Not for once did it occur to me that I should skip the Champions League to please the critics. My doctor feels that I am still not ready to play a match. If we qualify for the main stages and I am allowed to play by my doctor, I will definitely take the field."

Gambhir feels that player management is a must in the modern scenario where teams are playing round the year. "As players we want to play as much as possible when we are doing well, but it is important that players who play in all the three formats are preserved well so that they can play longer and are fresh physically as well as mentally.

"In the modern game, mental fatigue also needs to be avoided. It is important that every country has a pool of 25 players who are talented enough to play at the international level," he said.

No Indian fan can forget Gambhir's knock of 97 in the final of the World Cup - a pressure cooker situation.

Re-living the experience, Gambhir said: "It is every cricketer's dream to win the biggest prize in the 50-over format of the game. I still believe I should have been a part of the squad in the 2007 World Cup.

"But after the disappointment of not getting picked for the World Cup, came the high of winning the 2007 World T20. So that brought about a belief that everything is destined. "After the first few matches of the 2011 edition, came an article by Ian Chappell that I should be dropped and that egged me on and the rest is history."

After the purple patch under ex-coach Gary Kirsten, the drubbing against England under new coach Duncan Fletcher has come as a rude shock for fans.

"Every captain and coach is as good as the team. Gary was a very hardworking person and he made us believe in ourselves. He reaped the rewards of the efforts he had put in with the team and deserved every bit of the success.

"And after three years, you would obviously miss the person. But life goes on and we must respect his decision to quit and spend time with his family.

"As far as the comparison is concerned, it is too early to judge Fletcher and we need to give him time to adapt," said Gambhir.