Steve Waugh opines on Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy future
What's the story
Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh has weighed in on Rohit Sharma's future in the Indian Test team.
Waugh stressed that it is Sharma's call if he wants to continue playing Test cricket for India.
This comes after India failed to qualify for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final under Sharma's leadership, a major moment in his captaincy career.
Captaincy scrutiny
Rohit Sharma's captaincy questioned after WTC failure
India's back-to-back defeats in consecutive series against New Zealand and Australia have led to questions over Sharma's future as Test captain.
The team's failure to qualify for the WTC Final for the first time under his captaincy has further fueled the speculations.
The dismal performance has prompted many cricket lovers and experts, including Waugh, to question Sharma's place in the team.
Notably, the 37-year-old has also struggled with the bat in this period.
Self-evaluation
Waugh emphasizes personal reflection for Rohit Sharma
Waugh feels it's Sharma's call to decide his future in Test cricket.
"He has got to look himself in the mirror and say, do I still want to be captain or play for India? Am I committed? Am I putting enough time and effort into it?" Waugh told PTI.
Waugh went on to stress on commitment saying, "It is a privilege and an honor to play for your country. You can't be complacent or relax."
Final defense
Waugh defends South Africa's WTC final qualification
Waugh also defended South Africa's qualification for the WTC final, despite the criticism over their schedule.
He likened it to India's participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
"There's always complaints," he said, "You have to do what you can to make things happen. It's not a perfect situation. Some countries play a lot of Test matches, some don't play many."
The WTC 2025 final will be played on June 11 at Lord's between Australia and South Africa.