Dressing Room’s Atmosphere Affected, Not Healthy Sign: Anjum Chopra on Head Coach Saga | EXCLUSIVE

Years after parting ways with the game, Chopra has taken to commentating like fish to water and is now a popular voice of cricket.

New Delhi: Often compared to David Gower, Anjum Chopra has been one of India’s best batswomen ever who relied majorly on timing and had a Rohit Sharma-like lazy elegance while going about her business. Years after parting ways with the game, Chopra has taken to commentating like fish to water and is now a popular voice of cricket.

In a recent chat with CricketCountry, she opened up on the Women’s Cricket team, much-talked-about head coach saga, India eves realistic chances of winning in England and teen sensation Shafali Verma’s rise.

When asked about India’s chances of winning in England, she reckoned adapting to the conditions would be the key and the faster they do it the better it is. “I would want them to win, there is nothing better. But again, when you talk of the realistic chances, it is a very good team and the faster they adapt, it would be better as you would then get to see a competitive series,” she said.

Hailing teen sensation Shafali Verma’s quick rise, the former left-handed opener admitted that one hopes big things from her as she is young. But she also emphasised that it is important that Shafali does justice to her talent and for that to happen one needs to wait. “You have picked a youngster, you hope that she comes good. We hope she does justice to the talent for whichever team she plays. And for the talent to come good, one has to wait and wait,” she added.

The ex-cricketer also spoke on the women’s head coach saga that created a stir in the fraternity when Ramesh Powar was reappointed. When asked if a frequent change of coach does any good to the side, she said, “No, of course, it is not good. Do you always want to keep changing personnel at your workplace? It is not a healthy sign.”

“See, whatever happened between Ramesh Powar and Mithali Raj, all of that came out from the dressing room only. It was not the case that somebody sitting in Mumbai or in some other part of the world was calling the shots. The atmosphere of course is affected because everything is coming out from inside the dressing-room,” the ex-India captain went on to add further.

Claiming that both Ramesh Powar and WV Raman are accomplished coaches, she hinted that if their coaching credentials are not the problem, then it could be something else. Chopra said: “If there is no question being raised on their credentials, which means there is something else.”

Stay hooked to this space for the second part of the Anjum Chopra interview.