BCCI official feels replacing Ravi Shastri might be dangerous for Indian team, as he shares a rapport with Virat Kohli

In the aftermath of the ICC World Cup 2019, the BCCI has invited fresh applications for the post of head coach and other support staff like the batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, physio, strength, and conditioning coach for the Indian team. Also advertised is an opening for the administrative manager of the team.

The current coaching staff comprises of Ravi Shastri as the head coach, Sanjay Bangar as the assistant coach, Bharat Arun as the bowling coach and R Sridhar as the fielding coach and their contracts were extended by 45 days till the new staff is chosen and given reins to. The chief selector MSK Prasad has said that the team is looking forward to grooming a young team for the World T20 in 2020 and the 2023 ICC World Cup.

Kohli and Shastri are currently in a transition phase after India’s heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in the semi-finals. And now a BCCI official feels that it would be wrong to break their partnership which has served the country so well over the past 3-4 years. He also claimed that the bonding and equation that exists within the Indian dressing room will get shattered with the appointment of the new head coach.

Change of coach and support staff may harm the chemistry of the team, feels the official

“Nothing permanent with a long term effect should happen at this stage of transition. Shastri and Kohli complement each other well and it would be unfair to change half of a team that has been successful,” the official was quoted as saying by Timesnownews.com

The official also touched upon the point that a new head coach might mean a sudden change in the planning and strategy done in the last two years by Shastri and Kohli gone to waste and would need more time in formulating a new path of planning for the next five years.

“A change in coach may prove to disturb the equation that exists which allows the players to have the mental space to excel. If a change is made at this stage, then it would be a change of strategy and planning for the next 5 years. It would be unfair to take such a decision at a stage when the stakeholders are not the ones deciding,” the official added.

Though Ravi Shastri and the current supporting staff have gotten automatic entry into the new recruitment process, there are many big names rumoured to have applied for the post of the head coach, like Gary Kirsten, Tom Moody, and Mahela Jayawardene and given their pedigree, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod.