NEW DELHI: Head coach Gautam Gambhir drew criticism from all quarters after South Africa whitewashed India in the two-match Test series – the second home clean sweep under his tenure since he took charge last year. Much of the criticism has centered on Gambhir’s strategies and his emphasis on packing the squad with all-rounders, a move many feel has disrupted the team’s balance.

Former South Africa legend AB de Villiers has also weighed in on the debate surrounding Gambhir’s coaching style. He admitted that he doesn’t know much about Gambhir’s approach as a leader, but based on his experience with him as a player, he believes Gambhir is quite emotional.

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De Villiers suggested that having an emotional coach may not always be ideal, though he clarified that there is no absolute right or wrong in such matters.

“Speaking on behalf of the Indian side, it’s really difficult. I don’t know what GG is like when it comes to leadership. I’ve known him as an emotional player and if that is the case in the change room, generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have, he said while speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

“But it’s not to say he’s that kind of a coach and the kind of leader behind the scenes. There’s no right and wrong. Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that’s never played the game before but he’s got a lot of years of experience of coaching the game,” he said.

De Villiers explained that every player responds differently to different types of coaches. Using his own example, he said he enjoyed playing under Gary Kirsten – a former player, much like Gambhir – because having someone with that experience and stature made him feel confident and inspired.

“It’s a tough question because I’ve never played under Shukri and I’ve never been in the Indian dressing room with GG, Morne Morkel and Ryan ten Doeschate. It looks great on paper but I don’t know what the dynamic is like behind the scenes. What I can say is it is different for every player. I absolutely love playing under Gary Kirsten, he’s a former player and similar to Gautam Gambhir. Some players might find confidence and feel comfortable with being a former player. there, a great of the game and find some extra inspiration to put extra yards for the team and for the coach.”