CAC holds the key for Ravi Shastri to be in contention for next India coach

Former Indian team director, Ravi Shastri, could pretty well take up the role of the next Indian head coach. Albeit Shastri has not given his application for the post, he could get a chance to be interviewed for the role if the Chief Advisory Committee (CAC) wishes to do so. As per the norms, only the applicants must be interviewed. However, as per the reports in News18, a BCCI official noted that there can be exceptions.

If the CAC deems a person who failed to apply for the job but is interested in taking up the role, they can interview him along with other candidates. The CAC comprises of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman. The official mentioned that if the CAC is not willing to see such cases, then the doors would be closed for Ravi Shastri. But if they do consider the cases, Shastri could be a forerunner for the job.

“The doors are open for Shastri if the CAC wants to interview him. As per the current rules, Shastri is not eligible because he has not submitted his resume. But the CAC has the authority to request the BCCI to allow the interview of candidates from the outside who they deem fit for the position. For that to happen, all the CAC will need to do is submit a special request. But all this can happen only if the CAC wants. If they are happy to interview just those who have applied, then obviously the door is closed for Shastri,” an official quoted.

“It is not something new or unheard of. It happens not only in big corporates, but also in top government positions wherein people from the outside are also interviewed in certain cases. At the end of the day, it is for the CAC to decide what is best for Indian cricket and if they feel the man who can do the job is  Ravi Shastri, then why not,” he added.

Avoiding rifts in the future

The race for the next Indian coach has intensified after Anil Kumble recently stepped down from the position. Apparently, his relations with the Indian skipper Virat Kohli were not very fruitful. He mentioned about the same in his note that addressed the fans and media. The official has remarked that such miscommunications and imbalance between the captain and the coach does not help the cause of the team. He remarked that the officials have spoken to Kohli and they hope that similar situations do not arise in the times to come.

“While the team is led by the skipper, Kohli must also be told that such a scenario doesn’t augur well for Indian cricket and should be avoided in the future. The CAC has already spoken to him in Kumble’s case and we are confident that he will be spoken to again so that a similar situation doesn’t arise in the future. It is a case of two brilliant individuals not being able to work together and the dynamics of the team going for a toss,” elucidated the official.