New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar convinced Ravi Shastri to apply for team India’s head coach after Anil Kumble’s controversial resignation. Media reports claimed that Tendulkar spoke with former team India director and asked him to reconsider his stance on the subject. Interestingly, both are in London.
Sachin is part of the three-man Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) which also has Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. The CAC has been given the responsibility of selecting the coach once again.
Shastri confirmed two days ago that he is going to apply for the post. Many at that time linked Shastri’s interest in the top job with his apparent ‘excellent rapport’ with skipper Virat Kohli.
Earlier, reports claimed that Shastri was apprehensive in applying for the post, claiming that he was deliberately ignored last year despite doing a good job and hence does not want to stand in the queue this time.
The report said that Sachin approached Shastri considering the fact that Kohli too is in favour of Shastri replacing Kumble and hence saw this as an opportunity to save BCCI from the criticism it has been attracting for allegedly not handling the Kumble-Kohli matter in a proper manner.
It should also be understood that Tendulkar was reportedly in Shastri’s favour last time as well when the CAC chose to hand Jumbo a 1-year deal in June, 2016.
Speaking about Shastri’s interest in the job, Ganguly seemed unperturbed while saying, “Everybody has got the right to apply. We will find out. I can also apply provided I’m not an administrator.”
The last time Shastri appeared for the interview, only Tendulkar and Laxman were present since Ganguly had to attend some urgent work. Considering Shastri’s equation with Ganguly since the incident, Laxman’s view of Shastri as coach becomes even more important as he might just be the deciding factor when it comes to naming Kumble’s replacement.
Shastri now joins the likes of Tom Moody, Richard Pybus, Virender Sehwag, Lalchand Rajput and Dodda Ganesh as contenders for India’s top job.
