Former Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) member Anshuman Gaekwad has on Wednesday (July 28) revealed that why Ravi Shastri was re-appointed as Indian cricket team head coach in 2019.
After retiring from the game, the former India captain earned fame in TV commentary as he went on to commentate in almost every Team India match and was very well-versed with the players and it was an added advantage with the latter that had favored him to retain the top job.
Following India's exit from the 2019 World Cup in the semi-finals, BCCI called application for the head coach’s role where Shastri faced stiff competition from impressive candidates like Mike Hesson, Tom Moody, and Lalchand Rajput, but later won the big fight for the top role in the Indian cricket team.
Notably, in 2014, Shastri was appointed the Director of Cricket till the 2015 World Cup and India did a good job in England and against Australia. He was then appointed as the Team India head coach in 2017 after India was beaten by Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2017 final amid the reports of a tussle between the captain Virat Kohli and then coach Anil Kumble.
After the controversy, the CAC was appointed with Kapil Dev being head while Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy were 2 other members – who went on to re-appoint Shastri as the India head coach.
Revealing the decision, Gaekwad said they found no other candidate more qualified than Shastri to take charge of the Indian cricket team, given his involvement with cricket – as a cricketer, as a commentator, a member of the ICC Cricket Committee, team director, and team manager in 2007.
However, he mentioned that Shastri’s stint as commentator played a big role in his re-appointment as India head coach. He will stay in the role till the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 later this year.
Gaekwad told Hindustan Times: “See, Ravi had an advantage among the others who were in the fray for the coaching job. Myself, Kapil Dev, and Shantha… we did the selection. He was in touch with cricket by virtue of being a commentator.
He had seen cricket and not only of one country but world cricket from a very close quarter. He knew exactly how things go about – winning or losing. He knew how matches and situations turn around. What one does to do it? He was in touch and knew the Indian players well and players knew him well. What else do you want?”
He also said people blame should not blame the coach and captain for the team’s failures, but the team’s success depends on each and every member available in the team, especially the coach.
Gaekwad signed off by saying, “It’s not only coach and captain. That’s a wrong concept people have. It’s the coach and the team. A captain alone can’t do anything. He needs another 10 to do it. Similarly, the coach and captain can’t do everything. That has been my experience.
I had the best of the guys - Tendulkar, Azharuddin, Laxman, Sourav, Rahul. What else do you want? And in the bowling, Anil, Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, and it worked.”
