When an ad-hoc panel comprising Shantha Rangaswamy, Kapil Dev and Anshuman Gaekwad chose W.V. Raman as the women’s team head coach last year, there were no murmurs. But the task is not going to be soundproof when they sit to decide the next head coach of the men’s cricket team.
The newly-appointed Cricket Advisory Committee is currently awaiting guidelines from the BCCI with an “open mind”. The interviews are scheduled for the second week of August.
"If the team loses, people tend to be critical of the coach. It is not always the same when the team wins. We should be fair. But it doesn’t mean that a new coach and support staff will not come into play, I have an open mind," Rangaswamy told Sportstar .
"A coach should be somebody who can handle crunch situations. That should be the approach."
The veteran of 16 Tests and 19 ODIs feels Indian cricket is on an “upswing”.
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“They have been doing well for the past few years. One bad day doesn’t really change the overall efficiency of the team. I know they lost two semifinals, but even Australia lost to New Zealand whom they beat on a regular basis. These are things that happen in cricket.
“Differences are bound to be there. It is not that someone can win continuously. One bad day and India were knocked out but they performed very well in the World Cup,” she stated her observations.
Rangaswamy — the first woman to lead India to a Test win in 1976-77 against West Indies — also stressed on the compatibility part.
“Greg Chappell is known for his cricketing knowledge but his stint with the Indian team wasn’t successful because he was not compatible with most of the players. That’s why, I am talking about the approach but we have to look at other aspects too,” she added.
There will no special preference for international candidates. “I don’t think so. It is not that you can raise your collar if you are a foreigner, anybody who can get the best out of the Indian players should be the coach. That is the criteria.”
On India’s performance in the last few years, former India batsman Gaekwad reasoned, “The stats say it all. I don’t have to say who has done well and who has not. The results speak for itself.
“If it was Ravi Shastri to continue, this entire process wouldn’t have taken place, since it has taken place, it is open.”
The BCCI handed a 45-day extension to Shastri and the support staff after the World Cup campaign.
He will get an automatic entry in the recruitment process.
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