'Virat needs to understand how the coaches also operate. That’s the best way forward.'
'We want to speak to Virat Kohli once he is back from America, all three of us along with the respective people concerned. 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.'
BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee member Sourav Ganguly explains why they decided to defer the naming of India's new coach. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens in.
The Indian coach saga continues to drag.
Following the untimely resignation of Anil Kumble as coach after a year in charge following differences with captain Virat Kohli, the BCCI is treading with caution this time around.
The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising the three greats of Indian cricket – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – interviewed the five shortlisted candidates on Monday but kept their decision on hold for the time being.
Virender Sehwag, Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput were the five shortlisted candidates who were interviewed on Monday. Among them Sehwag was the only who came in person at the BCCI’s office in Mumbai while the remaining four interviews were conducted via Skype.
Former West Indies player Phil Simmons was also among the shortlisted candidates but he was not available for the interviews hence it could not take place.
In an open statement following his resignation as the coach of the Indian team, Kumble had said that the ‘partnership between him and captain Virat Kohli was untenable and hence it was best to move on’.
“Post this intimation, I was informed for the first time yesterday by the BCCI that the Captain had reservations with my ‘style’ and about my continuing as the Head Coach. I was surprised since I had always respected the role boundaries between Captain and Coach. Though the BCCI attempted to resolve the misunderstanding between the Captain and me, it was apparent that the partnership was untenable, and therefore believe it is best for me to move on,” he further wrote in the statement last month.
Taking a cue from Kumble’s controversial exit, his former team mate Ganguly called up Kohli to understand the style of functioning of the new coach and ensure they have a long term relationship.
“We want to speak to Virat Kohli once he is back from America, all three of us along with the respective people concerned. 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 (in 2019),” the former India captain stated.
Ganguly believes that every new coach will bring something new to the table and it will only be towards the betterment of Indian cricket.
“Virat needs to understand how the coaches also operate. That’s the best way forward. It has to be decided for one and all because everybody will be different and everybody wants the good of the team whether it is Virat or Anil or whether the five people who were interviewed today, all of us sitting there, we want the best possible thing from our side for Indian cricket. The best possible thing we see is that everybody is on the same page, they synchronized the way forward and proceed and we go out of the system,” he added.
Ganguly says it is important to make sure they get the right candidate so that they don’t have go through another drama again in another six months or a years’ time.
“We are not in a hurry. We want to make sure that everybody is in synchronization 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.
Ganguly took his example and said that they also have played under different coaches during their playing days, who had their different styles of operations.
“We have played the game and we have been under different coaches and they have all their different ways of operations. The crux of the matter does not change and that is why we feel that Virat Kohli is an important cog of the system. I was captain, VVS Laxman was one of the best in the world, so we understand where it goes, and we will take a call which is the best way forward, we can’t say right because nobody knows what is right or wrong. The best way forward for the team and the boys because ultimately they are going to play and they are going to give results for the country,” he added.
Ganguly refuted theories that Kohli wants Shastri to be named as the new coach and claimed that the India captain had not come up with any suggestions.
“You got to give credit to Virat that he is just completely straight about it. He has no inputs, he has not sent any names but 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,” he said.
