Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid said he hasn't been approached for the job of Team India coach, and the new man must be selected irrespective of nationality.
Asked if he is interested in taking over as coach of the Indian cricket team, he replied: "Now I am part of the Rajasthan Royals coaching team and I am focussing on it only. We will cross the bridge when we reach it. There is no need to think about those things right now. No one has spoken to me about it, so there is no need to talk about it now."
He was speaking on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, on Thursday, where Rajasthan Royals pledged two percent of its annual profit towards development and welfare of the girl child in India through a tie-up with two NGOs -- Educate Girls and Aangan.
Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, whose term as India coach ended after the World Cup, is unlikely to get an extension and the Board of Control for Cricket in India has already started the process to find his successor.
India have always preferred to hire foreign coaches since John Wright was given the job in 2000. After the New Zealander's five-year tenure, Australia's Greg Chappell was handed the reins of the team. However, he quit after two years following India’s dismal show in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
His departure saw former India batsman Ravi Shastri manage the team temporarily during the tour of Bangladesh in 2007.
During Gary Kirsten’s four-year tenure India achieved massive success, including winning the 2011 50-overs' World Cup at home and becoming the No. 1-ranked Test team.
Fletcher took over from the South African, but under the Zimbabwean Team India did not perform up to expectations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India hopes to have a coach in place before the team's tour of Bangladesh next month and names of a few likely contenders -- both Indian and foreign -- are floating around.
Dravid believes that the best man must get the job, and nationality should not matter.
“When you take a decision about the coach for the Indian team you should never consider whether he is Indian or a foreigner. The best person for the job, the person who is the most suitable for the post, whether he is Indian or foreigner, should be appointed,” the former captain added.
He said India must not be averse to foreign coaches.
“The world has become a lot professional nowadays. You have a lot of people from India going abroad for work, and, similarly, people from abroad come here to work. So we should not see his nationality, but only see if he is suited to the job and the team and then decide on his appointment."
