Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has clarified his stance days after calling India head coach Gautam Gambhir a hypocrite. Taking to Twitter, Tiwary has blamed the media for editing and playing one particular chunk in his 20-minute interview.

On January 9, in an interview with News18, the former Bengal captain had lashed out at the current head coach. Tiwary had criticised Gautam Gambhir, calling the India head coach a hypocrite who "doesn't walk the talk". Tiwary questioned Gambhir's appointment as head coach, claiming the former opener lacks clarity and a definitive coaching style. His strongly worded remarks came in the wake of India's loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and their failure to reach the World Test Championship final.

"Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite. He doesn't do what he says,

"What is the use of a bowling coach? Whatever the coach says, he will agree. Morne Morkel came from Lucknow Super Giants. Abhishek Nayar was at Kolkata Knight Riders with Gambhir, and the Indian head coach knows that he will not go against his instructions," Tiwary added.

However, three days later, Tiwary clarified his stance after criticism from former cricketer Aakash Chopra. Chopra had accused the former Bengal star of joining the criticism bandwagon against Gambhir.

Manoj Tiwary addressed the video to Aakash Chopra and said that he only said what he believed was right.

"I was at my coaching centre, sitting there after practice. The local media came there to take my interview. We spoke for 20-25 minutes, and you know that when these people [media] take interviews, they go back to the office and edit it - whatever is convenient, what they feel is required will be kept. They will try to keep whatever there is demand for," Manoj Tiwary clarified.

"There were two things Aakash bhai [Aakash Chopra] said. I am pretty sure that he may not have seen the interview of 20 minutes. And these four-five lines which came out from my interviews, he might have just seen that. I just want to clear this, Aakash bhai," he added.

"I like Aakash, I respect him, [he gives his] honest opinion. I feel it is important to clear this up. Aakash bhai said, 'Manoj behti Ganga mein haath dho raha hai [Manoj is washing his hands in the flowing Ganga],' (an idiom meaning to go with the tide), after people like Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar were also criticising Gautam Gambhir. There is no such thing, Aakash bhai. I have no need to wash my hands in the flowing Ganga. The river is close by, and I can wash my hands there any time, but I do not wish to. I had not been following what those people said. I just said what I felt in the interview," concluded Tiwary.