Published: Jul 13, 2017, 03:08 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 13, 2017, 03:08 PM (IST)
The suspense and the conundrum surrounding India’s new head coach are over. Ravi Shastri, who was termed as a favourite to bag the position, was finally appointed. Accompanying him will be two huge names of Indian cricket — Rahul Dravid (as overseas Test batting consultant) and Zaheer Khan (as bowling coach). These three will be there with the Indian team till the 2019 Cricket World Cup and their first assignment will be the tour to Sri Lanka, which will begin on July 19. ALSO READ: Salaries not finalised for Ravi Shastri, Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid
Speaking to The Times of India, Shastri mentioned about the challenges for Team India going ahead and what makes him click with Virat Kohli and Co. Shastri admitted that he is the kind of person who likes to live in the present and he had previously not applied for the (head coach) position because “he had not understood the gravity of the situation”.
“My job is to carry on from where I left. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to carry unnecessary baggage. That’s not the way I’ve lived my life and pursued my cricket. I like to live in the present and take each day as it comes. And I love challenges. So, that’s exactly what I’m thinking right now — about the challenges ahead. The nucleus of the team is the same, the support staff is the same. It’s the set-up that I was part of until mid-2016, one that I’m familiar with. I had not applied the first time around because I had not understood the gravity of the situation,” said Shastri.
When asked about all the drama that unfolded between him and certain members of Cricket Advisory Committee (that comprises of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman) Shastri said that he wants to move ahead and don’t want to think about it: “Let me put it this way: I’m a firm believer in destiny. I have always believed what goes around comes around. That aside, let’s just concentrate on what’s ahead and not what’s left behind”.
Speaking about the upcoming tough overseas tours and the ultimate challenge — the 2019 World Cup, Shastri said that he is very excited about the challenges and feels that the current Indian team has the potential to thrive on those challenges: “I’m looking forward to it because this team has potential to thrive on those challenges and play the brand of cricket that very few Indian teams have played in the past. There’s plenty of talent but that’s not the only point I’m going to make here. It’s a young bunch that wants to prove itself, play good cricket and takes pride in representing the country. The road ahead is a challenging one, no doubt. But that’s exactly where things get interesting”.
Last but not the least, he spoke about his views on the appointments of Dravid and Zaheer as consultants: “BCCI can certainly bring in guys like Zaheer and Dravid as consultants from time to time. Their experience is invaluable. But as far as a full-time support is concerned, I will need to decide on the team because it is me who will be working with them over the next two years.”
