Sad to see Virat resign as Test captain, think Rohit is front-runner to lead India: Warne

By Vishesh Roy
New Delhi [India], January 24 : Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has said that he is not surprised with Virat Kohli's decision to step down as the Test skipper. He also said that Jasprit Bumrah could become a good captain, but in his opinion, Rohit Sharma is the frontrunner to become the leader of the side.
In an interaction with ANI, Warne opened up on Virat's decision, England's performance in the Ashes, and what he makes of Pat Cummins as Australia's leader.
"I was not surprised with Virat's decision because being the captain of India has so much pressure and expectation. Virat is such an inspiration to so many people, he is an inspirational leader and I am sad to see him resign as captain and step down. He is still playing Test cricket and he still believes that it is the number one form of the game," Warne told ANI.
"He will still be playing Test cricket for a long time and I look forward to seeing playing him the longest format. I am a big fan of his. I do not believe a wicketkeeper (Rishabh Pant) should be a captain, I believe a wicketkeeper makes a good deputy, a good vice-captain. Looking at the Indian side, Jasprit Bumrah can make a good captain, Rohit Sharma can make a good captain," he added.
Further talking about the captaincy prospects, Warne said: "Rohit has done a good job in shorter formats, so he will be the favourite to lead the side. KL Rahul could do it, I would love to say Rahane but he has lost form, if Rahane was in form or he finds that form again then he can do it. He is a very good captain, India is lucky to have so many options but I think Rohit will get the captaincy."
England recently suffered a 0-4 drubbing in the recently-concluded Ashes. Fans back in the UK started blaming the Indian Premier League and the Hundred for poor performances in Tests, but Warne believes poor performance in Tests does not have anything to do with IPL.
"Not at all, the bottom line is that England did not play well enough, they did not get the basics right. They dropped too many catches, Australia has not played that well in Australia in the past few years. India has beaten Australia twice so it shows it can be done by a good team. Australia played terrific cricket and they did not allow England to play well," said Warne.
"It has nothing to do with the Hundred, has nothing to do with the IPL. The bottom line is that England did not well play enough, that is the bottom line," he added.
Talking about his documentary 'Shane', which is streaming on BookMyShow Stream in India, the former spinner said: "I have been blown away, the response has been unbelievable. People have loved it which is great. It is nice that people are taking time out to give me their feedback. So, I am really glad that people liked it and I hope people all over the world start seeing it."
When asked what did he make of Pat Cummins as the Test leader of Australia, Warne said: "I think he did a good job in the Ashes, he has got the respect of everyone that plays cricket around the world."
Lastly, talking about South Africa's win over India in both Tests and ODIs, the former Australia spinner said: "Well, South Africa played terrific cricket, they were the better team than India. India did not play well, even though they came close. It was a great result against India. To see Proteas winning both Tests and ODIs, I think it is a fantastic achievement."