It’s not on us: CAC interviews India coach candidates and smartly puts the ball in Kohli’s court

Despite the long wait, the Cricket Advisory Committee, that comprises of India stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, on Monday deferred the announcement of India’s next head coach as it felt the need to explain what transpired in the interviews with captain Virat Kohli before taking a call on the matter.

The move made two things quite clear.

A. The captain of the Indian team will have a say in the selection of the new coach.

B. Ravi Shastri is not the automatic choice everyone made him out to be.

Addressing the press after the over four-hour process, Ganguly said that the panel had not finalised their selection, but was impressed with the interactions they had with each of the candidates.

Six candidates were asked to be interviewed on Monday. Other than Phil Simmons, all five, including Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Richard Pybus, Tom Moody and Lalchand Rajput spoke to the three-member committee.

Sehwag was the only candidate who was physically present for the interview, while the rest spoke via Skype. Tendulkar also joined via video call as he was in England.

But, despite following due process, it was decided that the selection will be deferred till the time the three sit down with Kohli.

“We want to speak to Virat Kohli once he is back from America, all three of us along with the respective people concerned,” Ganguly said. “We will explain to him that the coaches want to function in a certain way and make sure that everybody is on the same page before we make the announcement because once we make the announcement it has to be till the World Cup.”

“To be honest, what we heard from the coaches today is nothing different from what we heard last year and the way things have gone. They have been outstanding, especially some of the names which we have been discussing about.

“I am especially surprised and happy when we heard about how they want to go about the job. So from that point of view we will have everybody on the same page and take a call in the due course of time,” Ganguly added.

Shastri not a front-runner after all

Ahead of the interviews, speculation was rife that Shastri is a front runner considering the former India team director’s affinity with the captain and the rest of the team as well as his track record while in the role.

The fact that Kumble stepped down following “disagreements” with Kohli, had made it evident that the new coach would be someone who shares a rapport with the skipper. In such a scenario, Shastri would have been an automatic choice, however, the CAC’s decision to defer on the choice has set tongues wagging. Have they once again overlooked Shastri?

Reports had suggested that it was Tendulkar’s call to Shastri that prompted him to put his name in the hat for the post. However, his track record with the CAC has not been the smoothest. Last year, he was embroiled in a controversy with Ganguly after accusing him of sabotaging his candidature. This time around, the circumstances had meant such differences needed to be kept aside and selections be made on merit.

Shastri, considering his experience with the team, had appeared to be the ideal candidate on paper. But, the CAC’s move to defer their announcement hints at a different picture.

According to sources, Shastri’s interview went off smoothly with no sign of awkwardness between him and the interviewers. Kohli has worked with Shastri for two years and it was Shastri who led the team in the 2015 World Cup as well as the 2016 World Twenty20.

It appears, CAC might have selected another candidate and want Kohli to be on board before they make their choice public or they are not convinced about Shastri, but will select him if Kohli insists.

Kohli holds the key

In the lead up to the interview, it became increasingly clear that Kohli’s inputs were crucial to the selection process. Reports had suggested that BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had even flown to the Caribbean to have a word with Kohli and take his inputs regarding the coach issue. He had previously hinted that he will give his point of view only if the BCCI asks him for it.

Monday’s developments clearly signal that Kohli will have a say in the selection of the new coach.

“We are not going to play, it is the coach and the captain and we are just part of it,” Ganguly said.

“We want to make sure that everybody is in synchronisation of the way forward and then Indian cricket moves forward. We shouldn’t be seeing again six months down the line doing something different,” he added.

By allowing Kohli to put in his thoughts in the selection of the coach, CAC has set a new precedent that might not sit well with many.

It will be interesting to see how this system works. If Kohli disagrees with the CAC’s choice will they go with his preference or would Kohli be the one make the final selection.

For now, the CAC are stressing on the importance of a captain the game and handing him power which no other India skipper had wielded before. “We feel as the Advisory Committee that he is the captain which is the most important thing in cricket. He and everyone of us need to be on the same page because for us Indian cricket is more important. We are just a small bit, the main bit is the players who are going to play with the coach,” Ganguly said.

CAC playing safe?

The CAC, that comprises three of India’s most experienced cricketers, not only deferred its task of selecting a coach, but also by involving Kohli in the mix have deftly unloaded a part of the pressure on their shoulders onto Kohli’s.

After the unceremonious exit of their maiden selection – Anil Kumble, it appears the three stalwarts wanted to play it safe. They clearly do not want a repeat and having their names involved in such unsavoury disputes is obviously not a conversation they want to be part of in the future.

Considering their stature though, it’s surprising why they would not own up and make the difficult choice. These are the sort of decisions that have to be taken at the highest level. By deflecting it and including the captain in the mix, they have further delayed the process that cropped up under their watch.