The ongoing drama over the appointment of India’s next coach continued on Monday, as the announcement was delayed with the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) saying they need more time.
“We will hold on to the announcements as we need a few more days. We feel there is no hurry, the Sri Lanka tour is coming in a few days,” Sourav Ganguly, speaking on behalf of the three-member CAC, was quoted as saying by PTI.
The former captain made it clear that the panel was not in a hurry to name a successor to Anil Kumble – who stepped down from his position after a year and that BCCI are looking for a long-term option. “Once we make this announcement, it has to be till the World Cup (2019),” said Ganguly.
At the same time, Ganguly hinted that captain Virat Kohli will need to understand “how coaches operate”.
“Virat will need to understand how coaches operate. At the same time, you have to give credit to Virat that he has stayed out of the coach selection process. We will have a detailed chat with him once he is back from the West Indies,” Ganguly, flanked by committee member VVS Laxman and joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, was quoted as saying by PTI.
However, he also added that Kohli was an important part of the decision-making process.
“Virat is an important cog in the system and we will take a call which would be the best way forward for the team and the boys because they are going to play.
Ganguly’s message was an indicator that the CAC has taken a grave note of the situation after the infamous Kohli-Anil Kumble fallout leading to the latter’s departure.
Asked about the inputs taken from Kohli in the meetings during the ICC Champions Trophy in England, Ganguly said, “That was on a different aspect. As I said, he has stayed out of the whole thing.
“We want to make sure we take the best possible decision for Indian cricket. The coach, captain and players are the ones who will take Indian cricket forward. The CAC goes out of the picture once the coach is selected.”
Five candidates – Ravi Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput – were interviewed with Sehwag being the only one physically present at the BCCI Headquarters. Ganguly informed that West Indian Phil Simmons did not make himself available for the interview.
Sehwag, who is said to be the frontrunner along with Ravi Shastri, was in the interview for two hours. “You will get to know soon,” Sehwag told reporters while leaving Cricket Centre.
However, the decision to withhold the appointment is a clear indication that Ravi Shastri is no longer a runaway favourite for the top job as has been the popular perception.
Ganguly said that the presentations given by coaches on their roadmap for Indian cricket were no different from what they saw last year.
“From what we have heard from the coaches, it is not different from last year. We will take a call in the due course of time. We are not in a hurry. Sri Lanka is a long tour. We want to make sure that everybody is in synchronisation.
“It’s not me, Sachin, Amitabh ji (Chaudhary) or Rahul (Johri), who will play. It is the players who will be playing and the support staff will be there. Everybody should be in synchronisation,” Ganguly said.
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