Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri was reappointed as the head of the Indian cricket team on Friday by Kapil Dev-led Cricket Advisory Committee, and he will remain in charge of the squad until the T20 World Cup in 2021. Shastri, who was interviewed for the post on Friday, placed one major request with the three-member CAC panel.
Shastri, who was the clear favourite to bag the post once again, was asked about India’s weak middle-order lineup during the World Cup 2019 which resulted in their semifinal exit against New Zealand. And with his explanation, he put forth the request of having a greater say in India’s team selection process.
“Shastri wasn’t amused with the fact that he was kept out of selection meetings from quite some time where only the captain sat with the selectors to pick the team,” a CAC member said.
“He basically suggested the team management didn’t get the players they wanted in the middle order for the World Cup. Although the team management doesn’t have a vote in selection meetings, Shastri wants both the captain and coach’s inputs to be taken in selection meetings,” said another CAC member.
Shastri pipped five other candidates – Lalchand Rajput (India team manager at WT20 2007), Robin Singh (former India fielding coach), Tom Moody (Sri Lanka coach at WC 2007), Mike Hesson (New Zealand coach at WC 2015) and Phil Simmons (West Indies coach at WT20 2016) – in the selection process. His support staffs will be selected next week by the selection committee and not CAC.
