Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant to work really hard on his wicketkeeping skills, because of the cricketer not being a natural keeper.
He has to work really hard on his wicketkeeping. He is not a natural 'keeper but he's got all that talent which go to waste if he doesn't work on his keeping. I think he has realised that and if you see him now, he is working extremely hard on his 'keeping as well." he told the Sportstar.
Shastri further encouraging Pant to gain concrete understanding of his gameplay, stating the need for Pant to manage his game properly.
"He has a reputation of being a devastating player, big hitter. That is what he has to get used to. Every time he comes to bat, the crowd expects sixes off everything. This is where he has to manage his game properly," he added during the interview with Sportstar.
Pant has been sidelined in recent times, with KL Rahul handed the wicket-keeper's role on the back of excellent performances in all departments. Team India skipper Virat Kohli has further expressed his desire to see Rahul persisted with, when it comes to the keeper's slot.
Shastri further provided insights into his role on a day-to-day basis in the coaching set up, stating that one of the main jobs is to be a 'parrot'.
"That is one of the coaches' main job. To be a parrot. You might repeat the same thing day in day out. But that's my job, reminder. It should be ingrained in you. Muscle memory," he said.
"You know telling them the things you have to do, keep letting them know how good they are so that they don't drop guard. I say 'you guys are setting standards. You will set standards for the next generation which will be very hard to beat," concluded Shastri.
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