Shastri grilled about lack of solid number 4 in ODIs

The newly re-appointed coach expressed unhappiness over no say in team selection

kohli-shastri-pti Captain Virat Kohli along with coach Ravi Shastri during the team's Australia tour pre-departure press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai | PTI

Knowledge of the Indian cricketing system and awareness of abilities of most players coming into the senior India team were key to Ravi Shastri edging out close competition from other contenders for the post of Team India’s head coach. His nearest competitors were former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson and former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody.

THE WEEK has learnt that Shastri’s presentation was “ very excellent”. He focused not just on the Indian team, but also “on way forward, and the future players coming through the National Cricket Academy”. He, reportedly, told the three-member interim Cricket Advisory Committee led by former India skipper Kapil Dev that “the coaches at NCA should be strengthened. They should be focusing not just on the team and players on tour but also on the bench strength”.

The interim CAC also comprised former India opener and manager Anshuman Gaekwad and former Indian women’s team captain Shantha Rangaswamy. It was a day-long interaction with five contenders for the post of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team in Mumbai. While Robin Singh, Lalchand Rajput and Mike Hesson were interviewed in person, Tom Moody and Ravi Shastri gave their presentations over a video conference. Phil Simmons withdrew from the race at the last moment. The three-member committee ranked the contenders on the basis of coaching philosophy, experience, achievements, communication, and knowledge of modern coaching tools. All three individually gave marks to each contender and then took the average.

“All of them were good. In fact, there wasn't much difference between the first and fifth-ranked coach. It was a matter of one a, b, c, and d,” said a reliable source. Reportedly, the only thing that Hesson missed out on was the lack of experience as a player. “The lack of playing experience did not help his cause,” said the source.

Shastri was asked in depth about Team India’s problems with a solid no. 4 batsman in the World Cup as well as a middle-order in Test cricket. The CAC, reportedly, asked “probing questions” on these issues and raised concerns over why Team India did not have the same playing XI in 38 of its last 39 Test matches.

Shastri’s response was that the uncertainty with regular opening batsmen in both ODI and Test cricket had led to the issue of no opener barring one holding on to his place consistently. “He also expressed his disappointment over not being included in team selection. He conveyed that he was disappointed that when it came to team selection meetings, his views were not sought out. Only skipper Virat Kohli’s views were being considered by national selectors.”

The CAC has, reportedly, conveyed his views on the same to the BCCI.

It was Kapil Dev’s suggestion that each CAC member gives individual marks to the contenders and share their marks after the interviews were over.