Former South Africa cricketer Daryll Cullinan took a brutal dig on India captain Rohit Sharma's fitness calling him "overweight" and unfit for the rigours of a five-match Test series. Cullinan had labelled Rohit a "flat track bully" and even called him a liability to the team. Now, Cullinan's compatriot Herschelle Gibbs has reacted to his comments on the Indian skipper.
Gibbs who is Rohit's former Indian Premier League (IPL) teammate backed Cullinan's sentiments, saying that everything is visible on TV and doesn't need to mention any names.
"I don't need to mention any names. You can see everything on TV. Those guys that are unfit and carrying a little bit extra, I mean, the whole world is there to see. I think it's up to the individual. I was only a batter. Rohit doesn't bowl. It's up to the individual for me with regards to how much they want to contribute, not only in their own specific skill. If you're a bowler or a batter, your duty is still to be fit and to try and make a contribution in the field," Gibbs told InsideSport.
Gibbs also suggested that it's up to the players to figure out how they want to contribute to the team.
"Those guys that are unfit and carrying a little bit extra, I mean, the whole world is there to see. I don't need to mention any names. The mindset should be, especially with a lot of T20 cricket and obviously with the Champions Trophy coming up, how much you want to contribute and make a difference for your team," he added.
Rohit is currently going through a lean patch of his Test career, the star batter just scored 152 runs in 13 Test innings at an average of 11.69.
With the series levelled at 1-1, the Rohit Sharma-led side are preparing for the fourth Test match against Australia which is scheduled to take place in Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne from December 26. The remaining two Test matches are important for both teams to seal their berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final which will take place next year in June.