Team India coach contenders: How the six CVs stack up

The Kapil Dev-led Cricket Advisory Committee will interview six candidates for India's head coach role at the BCCI headquarters on Friday.

Published : Aug 13, 2019 19:59 IST

(Clockwise from left): Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Mike Hesson, Phil Simmons and Robin Singh.
(Clockwise from left): Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Mike Hesson, Phil Simmons and Robin Singh.
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(Clockwise from left): Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Mike Hesson, Phil Simmons and Robin Singh.

 

Mike Hesson

Teams coached:  Otago, Kenya, New Zealand, Kings XI Punjab

High points:  2015 ODI World Cup final with New Zealand

The New Zealander's first international assignment was with the Kenyan national team after the 2011 World Cup. He signed for a two-year role but resigned less than a year into his deal citing security reasons. He then took over as the New Zealand head coach from John Wright in 2012. Hesson had a rocky start as New Zealand coach, most notably when he backed Brendon McCullum to replace Ross Taylor as the captain.

READ| Hesson leaves KXIP

Under his coaching, New Zealand reached its first-ever World Cup final in 2015. His contract was extended in 2016 until the end of the 2019 World Cup, but Hesson resigned in June 2018 to spend more time with his family. He was New Zealand's longest serving coach.

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Mike Hesson and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.
 

Hesson was roped in as the coach of Kings XI Punjab franchise for the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where the side finished sixth and narrowly missed out on a play-off place due to an inferior net run rate.

Ravi Shastri

Teams coached:  India

High points:  India has retained its No. 1 ranking in Tests and won its first Test series in Australia

Shastri, who was Team India director between 2014 and 2016, was appointed the head coach after Anil Kumble's resignation following the 2017 Champions Trophy. India recorded a famous Test series win in Australia in 2019 after having lost on tours to South Africa and England in 2018. Also, India's ODI side won its first-ever bilateral ODI series in South Africa with a 5-1 scoreline last year.

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India captain Virat Kohli with Ravi Shastri.
 

After finishing top of the table in the league stages of the 2019 ODI World Cup, India exited the tournament in the semifinal. Incidentally, Indian captain Virat Kohli is comfortable with Shastri continuing in the role.

READ| Kapil Dev-led committee to interview candidates for India's head coach on Aug 16

Tom Moody

Teams coached:  Sri Lanka, Western Warriors, Kings XI Punjab, Uthura Rudras, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rangpur Riders, Multan Sultans

High points:  2007 ODI World Cup final with Sri Lanka. Won IPL 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Bangladesh Premier League 2017 with Rangpur Riders

The former Australia all-rounder has coaching experience of more than 14 years, with his first international assignment being in charge of a star-studded Sri Lankan team in 2005. Under him, Sri Lanka reached the 2007 ODI World Cup final, which it lost to Australia. He left the post in 2007 and went home to coach Western Australia for three years.

Moody is a highly sought-after coach in the T20 leagues, with his most successful stint coming with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He coached the side for six seasons during which it won one title and made five playoffs.

Moody had thrown in his hat for the role of India head coach in 2017 but lost out to Shastri.

Phil Simmons

Teams coached:  Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies, Afghanistan

High points:  World T20 2016 title with West Indies. Led Ireland (2011, 2015), Afghanistan (2019) into ODI World Cups

The former West Indian all-rounder's coaching stint in charge of Zimbabwe from 2004 proved a tough task as he inherited a severely weakened side. Zimbabwe was Bangladesh's first-ever Test scalp in 2005 as the African nation's status in the format came under threat due to poor results.

After being sacked by Zimbabwe Cricket, he was appointed coach of Ireland at the end of the 2007 World Cup. Ireland recorded famous wins over England and the West Indies in the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, respectively.

His one-year tenure as the coach of the West Indies was eventful. Appointed in March 2015, Simmons was temporarily suspended by the Cricket West Indies for expressing displeasure over team selection for an ODI series. He, then, coached the team to its second World T20 title in 2016, but did not last long. The board sacked him five months later citing 'differences in culture and strategic approach'.

He coached Afghanistan into the 10-team 2019 World Cup by defeating the West Indies in the World Cup qualifiers.

Lalchand Rajput

Teams coached:  Mumbai Indians, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe

High point:  First ODI win over West Indies

After his role as the Indian team manager during its World T20 win in South Africa in 2007, Rajput stepped into coaching with Mumbai Indians in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008. The team finished fifth and missed out on a play-off spot.

His first coaching role with an international team came with Afghanistan in 2016. Under him, Afghanistan beat the West Indies for the first time in an ODI and managed to draw the three-match series 1-1. During his time in charge, Afghanistan earned full member status in the International Cricket Council (ICC).

After he chose not to renew his contract in August 2017, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to land the Team India job. In 2018, he was appointed Zimbabwe's coach after Heath Streak was removed. The ICC suspended Zimbabwe Cricket in July. Rajput is set to have another go at the Team India gig.

Robin Singh

Teams coached:  India U-19s, Hong Kong, Deccan Chargers,   Mumbai Indians, Barbados Tridents

High points:  2011 Champions League T20 title with Mumbai Indians, CPL 2014 title with Barbados Tridents

The former India all-rounder stepped into coaching with Indian U-19s before taking over as the coach of the Hong Kong national team. Between 2007 and 2009, Singh was the fielding coach of Team India.

After an unsuccessful season with Deccan Chargers in 2008, he led Mumbai Indians to its maiden title with the Champions League T20 in 2011 before taking over the role of the side's batting coach.

He also led Barbados Tridents to its only Caribbean Premier League title win in 2014.

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