Ravi Shastri’s stint as India’s head coach ended with the team’s underwhelming T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. He had served the Indian team as a director from 2014 to 2016 and was made the full-time coach in 2017 before being re-appointed in the role in 2019.
Almost a month after he signed off as coach, Shastri has claimed that attempts were made to ensure that he didn't get the job in 2017.
The 59-year-old was also hurt by the fact that the board decided to hand Anil Kumble the responsibility in 2016 even though he was associated with the team for the past two years.
"There was this bolt from the blue. In less than two years after I was asked set aside my broadcast career, leave everything else and join the team, I suddenly found myself out for no reason. I had sown the seeds and the fruits were beginning to show and out of nowhere I came to know I was being replaced. Nobody told me why," he told TOI in an exclusive chat.
When asked if he was hurt by the decision, Shastri replied: "Yes, more than anything, it hurt because of the manner in which it was done. For all that I had contributed, just on one word from the BCCI, there were better ways to let me know 'Oh look we don't want you, we don't like you. We want somebody else' - if that was the case. Anyway, I went back to do what I do best - which is television. Around nine months passed, and I didn't even have a clue that there was anything wrong inside the team. I mean, what could've been wrong? I was told there was a real problem and I said - how can there be a problem in nine months? The team that I had left was in such a good space. How the hell in nine months could something go that drastically wrong? "
Notably, Kumble had stepped down as head coach after a public fallout with captain Virat Kohli following the Champions Trophy in 2017. Subsequently, Shastri was appointed coach by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.
Shastri, however, said that some people in the board tried their best to prevent him from taking the job.
"During my second stint, I came after a huge controversy. And it was literally egg on the faces of those who wanted me away. They opted for someone and nine months later, they came back to the very guy they threw out. And I'm not pointing any fingers at people (BCCI) in general. Specific people. I must say an attempt was made to ensure I don't get the job. But such is life," he remarked.
Under Ravi Shastri, Team India did reasonably well, winning two Test series in Australia and a number of bilateral series in white-ball cricket. They were also leading the Test series 2-1 in England before the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19 scare in the visiting camp.
