The idea of having split coaching in the national set-up has been floated by the former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan after Team India failed to make it to the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
He believes that there should be different coaching staffs for Test and T20I cricket. The former pacer further slammed the Indian team for heavily relying on the big names all the time, saying India had won the 2007 T20 World Cup because of a young breed that the Men in Blue should look at.
Questioning Team India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2022, Wassan said that the BCCI should have hired someone like AB de Villiers to prepare the side for the mega event, as the slam-bang format not only needs fresh blood, but also young coaches who know modern-day cricket closely.
Atul Wassan told PTI: “We can't have the same coaching staff for the T20 and Test cricket. You hire the best for the T20 format. Why didn't we hire AB de Villers for the T20 World Cup as a mentor? He could have guided the team better. He can tell the players a bit about manufacturing the shots.”
The 54-year-old continued, “This game has proved again and again that you need a new breed. In 2007, we hardly had stars, the team was comprised of youngsters, they played freely and they won the title. We are relying too much on our bigger names to deliver all the time.”
Wassan also said that IPL success doesn’t guarantee success on the international stage, and that was proved again and again. He added, “We also wrongly thought that the expertise of IPL will translate into the World Cup success. India is just faltering in big matches in do-or-die situations.”
The cricket expert also said that India has now become the new chokers in the world because the national selectors keep picking players because of their name and fame. He also suggested that India should begin selecting players based on the formats, with the upcoming World Cups in mind.
Wassan stated, “We have five ex-captains and eight players who play Test format, competing in T20s. How can't we find another set of players for T20? You just can't have the same players. Just because they are big names you (the selectors) are playing them. I think we have to reset the button.”
He signed off by saying on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, “With Rohit Sharma, the age factor is there. He looks sluggish. The baggage of stardom is also there. It's high time that we plan for the next world cup from here on. We have become the new chokers in international cricket. The team needs to change its mindset and approach to do well in the T20 format.”
(With PTI Inputs)
