Ravi Shastri’s appointment as the Indian cricket team’s head coach was a foregone conclusion ever since the strained equation between skipper Virat Kohli and the then coach, Anil Kumble, forced the latter to resign. Kohli has always had a comfortable working relationship with Shastri, who was the team director from 2014 to mid-2016, a phase during which India emerged as the number one Test team besides qualifying for the 2015 World Cup semi-final in Australia. Yet, the manner in which the latest transition was effected has left much bitterness. It raises the question whether a captain should have such overwhelming influence in picking the team’s coach. There is no doubting that it was Kohli’s view that prevailed on who should be out of the reckoning and who in. This does not reflect well on the three parties involved in picking the coach — the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Committee of Administrators and the Cricket Advisory Committee featuring eminent former players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman. With Shastri billed as the favourite, a seemingly token selection procedure was undertaken, with Virender Sehwag being one of the candidates to have been interviewed on Monday. Subsequently it was stated that the CAC would check with Kohli, but the CoA stepped in on Tuesday and ordered an immediate announcement. What started as speculation on the wires, followed by a denial , became a fact when a BCCI mail arrived in the inboxes of cricket correspondents at 10.58 p.m.
The manner of Shastri’s appointment does appear odd, but there is no denying his credentials. His commentary stints tend to overshadow his days as a doughty cricketer, when he excelled as a promoted-opener and a tight left-arm spinner. A former India captain, he has Test hundreds across the globe, including one in the West Indies, a mighty force during his playing days in the 1980s. He is an astute thinker of the game and, most importantly, it helps that he has Kohli’s confidence, for now. It is heartening that Shastri has among his support cast Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan as batting and bowling consultants, respectively. Dravid is a legend and Zaheer has always been a fine mentor to young bowlers. It is good that the trio got a contract till the 2019 World Cup in England, as it will allow better strategising. India embarks on an overseas season later this month with a tour of Sri Lanka and another of South Africa towards the year-end. Having got his way in the appointment of the coach, there will be immense pressure on Kohli to deliver, both as a player and as the captain. The road ahead is a challenging one — and it is time to end the whisper campaign against Kumble unleashed by sections of the team and the BCCI.
