Team India head coach Ravi Shastri on Saturday (January 25) explained his role in the national as the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has already appointed coaching staff for the different roles.
The national side has Vikram Rathour as batting coach, Bharat Arun as bowling coach, R Sridhar as fielding coach and Nick Webb as strength and conditioning coach, then the question arises that what is the role of Shastri in the team especially since India has different coaches available for every field.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Shastri revealed: “We all have roles. Our job is to fine-tune them in every possible way because when you are on the road, there is so much happening, there could be little things in your game that creep in which you don’t realize, which could lead to bigger things. So our job is not to have a stick in our hand and keep rapping them on the knuckles.”
Read Also: Ravi Shastri says Pant is not a natural keeper, but needs to work hard to not waste his talent
He further explained “You don’t have to go to a player and tell him something for the sake of telling it. If there is a reason why you have to tell him that and if you have a solution, then I step in. I will never go to a player and tell him what you are doing is wrong without having a solution to correct it.
How you bat as a unit, how you bowl as a unit, how you play for each other, how you take the game forward if you have a good start, where you give yourself time to take 20 wickets. So, all that comes into play. So if anyone thinks that we are there to just put butter on the bread, they can take a walk.”
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old doesn’t think the coaching job is boring at the time, adding: “Not at all. That is one of the coaches’ main job. To be a parrot. You might repeat the same thing day in day out. But that’s my job, a reminder. It should be ingrained in you. Muscle memory.”
The former captain further added, “You know to tell them the things you have to do, keep letting them know how good they are so that they don’t drop guard. I say ‘you guys are setting standards. You will set standards for the next generation which will be very hard to beat’.”
He was given another node as head coach last year despite India failed to win the two World Cup titles and the coach said about India’s failure in the ICC events, “And I would say the only thing missing in the cabinet for these guys is an ICC trophy. That’s destiny. You have to chase it. At the same time, you don’t have to be desperate.”
Shastri signed off by saying, “You got to stick to your game plans, your work ethics, address the tough situations in a different way. We got to sit down and think how can we do this, how can we absorb that pressure so that you give yourself a better chance.”
(With The Hindu Inputs)
