Dravid’s successor could be an Indian: Jay Shah as India’s head coach
BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Friday dismissed claims that the board has approached every former Australian cricketer to become India’s next head coach and hinted that Rahul Dravid’s successor could be an Indian, saying he has a “deep understanding” should have the structure of the game in the country.
Although Dravid has reportedly told the board he is not interested in a third stint, former Australian players such as Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer have claimed they have rejected the approach for the high-profile position.
“Neither I nor the BCCI have approached any former Australian cricketer with a coaching offer. The reports circulating in certain media sections are completely false,” Shah said in a statement.
Both Ponting and Langer are involved in the Indian Premier League as head coaches of Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants respectively. There is speculation that former World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir, who is currently guiding Kolkata Knight Riders, is among the top candidates for the post.
“Finding the right coach for our national team is a painstaking and thorough process. We are focused on identifying individuals who have a deep understanding of the Indian cricket structure and have risen through the ranks,” Shah said.
The BCCI secretary also said that having in-depth knowledge of Indian domestic cricket will be one of the important criteria for appointing the next coach. He said the understanding would be crucial to “really take Team India to the next level.”
Ponting had claimed on Thursday that he had been approached to take over the role, but said he declined as it did not suit his ‘lifestyle’ at the moment.
Ponting told the ICC Review: “I’ve seen a lot of posts about it. Normally these things pop up on social media before you even know about it, but there were a few little one-on-one conversations during the IPL, just to get some level of interest from me as to whether I would do it.”
“I would love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other things I have going on in my life and wanting to have some time at home, everyone knows that if you take a job with the Indian team, that is also possible.” I wouldn’t be involved with an IPL team, so that would also take it out of it,” he said.
Taking on the job of coaching India also involves being away from home for 10 to 11 months, but Ponting said his family seemed ready.
“…I whispered to my son about it and I said, ‘Dad’s been offered an Indian coaching job’ and he said, ‘Take it, Dad, we’d like to move there in the next couple of years.’ years,” he said.
“So they love being there and the cricket culture in India, but at the moment it probably doesn’t really fit into my lifestyle,” Ponting said.
Meanwhile, Langer, who had remained non-committal in applying for the coaching role in India after the IPL clash between LSG and Mumbai Indians, said he would “never say never” but at the same time revealed that he had received crucial advice from Lucknow skipper KL Rahul.
Langer told BBS Stumped Podcast: It would be a great job. I also know it’s an all-encompassing role, and after four years with the Australian team, it’s honestly exhausting. And that is the Australian job.
“You never say never. And the pressure to do it in India. I spoke to KL Rahul and he said, ‘You know, if you think there is pressure and politics in an IPL team, multiply that by a thousand, (i.e.) Coaching India That was good advice, I think, said Langer.
“It would be a great job, but not for me right now,” he added.
Former England head coach and current Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Andy Flower had also ruled himself out of the race and said he is happy to be involved in franchise cricket for now.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has done the same for Stephen Fleming, claiming that the former New Zealand captain is not keen on taking up a job that requires him to work ‘nineteen months a year’.
Describing the position of India’s head coach as the most prestigious job in international cricket, Shah said it requires a high level of professionalism considering the kind of support the national team enjoys.
“When we talk about international cricket, no role is more prestigious than that of the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Team India has the largest fan base in the world and enjoys support that is truly unparalleled,” he said.
“Our rich history and passion for the game make this one of the most lucrative jobs in the world. The role requires a high level of professionalism as you will be training some of the best cricketers in the world and an assembly line of talented cricketers to follow. .
“It is a tremendous honor to meet the aspirations of a billion fans and the BCCI will choose the right candidate, who is capable of taking Indian cricket forward,” Shah added.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: May 24, 2024 | 12:22 pm IST