Former off-spinner R Ashwin has defended under-fire India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the 0-2 home Test series loss to South Africa, saying it is not right to call for his sacking at a time when the players themselves have not shouldered enough responsibility.

Plenty of criticism has been directed towards Gambhir’s planning and his push for all-rounders, which many feel has affected its balance. But Ashwin said the former opener, who has a contract till 2027, does not deserve to be removed. “Why are we doing this? It’s a sport. Managing a team cannot be that easy. He is hurting too. We must understand that. It might feel nice to get someone sacked, but that’s not how it should be,” Ashwin said on his Youtube show Ash ki Baat.