Revealed: Indian players choice for the head coach position

The Cricket Advisory Committee comprised of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman has postponed the announcement of the new Indian head coach which was scheduled to be declared yesterday. However, five candidates were interviewed yesterday by the three above mentioned gentlemen as per schedule.

The CAC has decided to notify and consult skipper Virat Kohli about the presentations put forward by the coaches and their working styles, before taking a decision. The captain is currently enjoying a holiday in America, after completing their tour of the Caribbean.

The last time a new Indian coach was appointed the CAC did not consult Virat Kohli before taking a decision. They decided not to extend Ravi Shastri’s contract and replaced him by Anil Kumble. Ravi Shastri, however, was a clear favourite among the players and has a smooth relationship with Kohli. It is believed that only Sachin Tendulkar wanted Shastri to continue whereas Ganguly and Laxman stood against him.

What the CAC had to say:

The CAC conducted a six-hour interview process in Mumbai but decided to hold the result. According to the committee, there is no hurry in announcing the name.

CAC member Sourav Ganguly said: “We have decided to hold on for the time being (the announcement). We need a few days more to talk to the players, especially the captain. The process is concluded (no more candidates will be interviewed). Virat did not give his inputs. He (Virat) needs to understand how the coaches (also) operate”.

Ganguly also mentioned that Kohli is yet to give his inputs into the matter. According to the people who were tracking developments during the interviews, Ravi Shastri and Tom Moody performed the best in their respective interviews. “Ravi and Tom came up with the best presentations when they spoke”. Said a source.

It is being believed that players got what they wanted. Legends of the game in the name of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman have held themselves back from taking a decision without consulting Virat Kohli. Whereas this is completely the responsibility of the CAC to make the decision on their own as it was the last time.

There is no doubt over the fact that the whole Indian team wants the 55-year-old active commentator Ravi Shastri to take on the proceedings. The team is completely united in their demand. “All 15 members of the team are unanimous on this. It’s not even 14-1. This was exactly the unanimity on the Kumble issue. All 15 members of the team did not want him,” said a member of the Team India camp.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who was a strong candidate for the job before the interview process is believed to be out of the race. The battle is now between Shastri and Moody because they came up with the best presentation. However, Shastri stands a firm favourite because of the team’s support on his side.

“Everybody else other than Shastri and Moody are out of the race and between the two, it is Shastri who is favoured by the team members. Now, it is up to the CAC, who want the onus to be on Kohli, which is unfair,” a source in the know of things said.

Those tracking developments close by say “somebody is trying to wash hands of this entire coach selection process, knowing where it’s heading. The consensus on the candidate is clear. What someone is essentially trying to do is put the onus on Virat and say ‘we have zeroed in on a (particular) candidate because this is what the skipper wants'”.