Kapil echoes Gavaskar's views on Sachin

New Delhi: Saddened by the criticism that Sachin Tendulkar is facing due to his lean run, former Indian captain Kapil Dev said the veteran batsman should speak to the selectors about his future.

Tendulkar's poor run continued in the recently-concluded second Test against England which the visitors won in just four days despite the track being tailor-made to India's demands.

Following the 39-year-old's most recent failure, ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar said it was time for him to speak to the selectors. And now, Kapil has echoed his former teammate's view.

"Either selectors should speak to him or Sachin should himself have a word with them. The problem is that Sachin does not speak about it openly and the selectors have also been mum about it till now," Kapil said.

"This results in confusion amongst the fans and also invites criticism from everyone, especially when Sachin performs badly. Selectors should talk to him openly. He (Sachin) is a hero and one feels really bad to see fingers being pointed at him," he said.

After the defeat against England in the Mumbai Test, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also facing the ire of former players. Kapil said Dhoni's place in the playing XI is in itself questionable.

"It is a big loss, indeed. We never let other teams dominate in our own conditions. But, this loss has raised some serious questions. We all know that Dhoni has performed badly in the last 8-10 Tests and going purely by performance, his place in the playing XI seems a bit doubtful.

"When you win, a captain takes the entire credit and similarly he will also be blamed when the team loses. He has let himself down and fans are feeling the same," said the 1983 World Cup winning skipper.

Kapil said that the team is going through a transition phase after retirement of legends such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman but hoped that it will bounce back in the remaining two Tests against England.