Ticking boxes, managing the elephant in the room
ircuit to Munnabhai, describing a cramped hostel room in the medical college: “So small, it ends before it starts!”
Circuit to Munnabhai, describing BCCI’S busy cricket calendar: “So much, it restarts before it ends!”
These last few months, the BCCI has worked so hard ticking boxes it could soon face “workload management” issues within its ranks.
It should be satisfied the IPL has restarted and preparations for the T20 World Cup in UAE are proceeding smoothly. The messy controversy surrounding the cancelled/abandoned/rescheduled 5th test in England is forgotten. The “financial package” for domestic cricketers is done. Tenders for two new IPL teams and the next cycle of media rights are being rolled out.
So far, so good. Yet, despite the flurry of activity, a quick look reveals there are still many boxes lying around waiting to be ticked. And, scarily, there is also a huge elephant in the room— Team India requires a new coach.
By mid-november, Ravi Shastri will leave and the BCCI must appoint a replacement. Finding the right person is complicated
because the selected candidate has to tick a lot of boxes. Obviously, he should know his job, be experienced and respected.
Besides, he should meet a “must have” eligibility condition: be acceptable to the BCCI and, interestingly, to the Indian captain. Cricket lightweights need not apply because India wants a big name—preferably a legend, a past great.
Is the field open to the best man for the job regardless of the passport he holds? Or is this an opportunity to make a strong statement supporting atmanirbhar India? Things being equal
(though they never are) it appears sentiment favours the insider option.
For this, there are three sound reasons. One: optics, because BCCI wants to project a muscular image of India as a superpower with cricket heft and commercial clout. From a PR perspective, an Indian coach is perfect, he ticks the boxes. Two: Team India has done well recently with an Indian coach, then why disturb the formula? Three: Foreigners find our cricket culture too complex and difficult to fit into. Previous experience of embedding outsiders into India’s extended cricket family caused conflict and disruption. Evidence? Greg Chappell. (Though Gary Kirsten or John Wright can be called on to argue the exact opposite)
There is a problem with the insider option: there’s no big gun available for hire.
Rahul Dravid, the automatic choice, has apparently ducked this bouncer for reasons unsaid but known to everyone. Dravid is “the suitable boy” given his pedigree, experience, stature and standing but has strong reasons to stand down.
The front runner in the narrow field is Anil Kumble, former Team India coach who later lost out in a regrettable back-room manoeuvre which everyone wants to forget. Kumble ticks all boxes and his likely rehabilitation is an opportunity to right a big wrong. But that depends on whether, having burnt his fingers in the past, did Kumble also burn his bridges with the BCCI?
This is where the Indian supply line runs out. VVS Laxman, Zaheer Khan, possibly Virender Sehwag could make for contenders but all of them have multiple commitments. Plus, the international schedule, which was always daunting, is almost killing now. Not many are willing to sacrifice personal lives to be on the road for long periods and remain imprisoned in hotel bubbles.
If no Indian is found the BCCI will look overseas, and in this quest IPL coaches would get an audition before others in the selection queue. Mike Hesson and Trevor Bayliss have outstanding records but India favours past legends, which they are not. England currently has Chris Silverwood but someone with his modest biodata is unlikely to get the nod.
Tom Moody (Sunrisers Hyderabad) could throw his hat in the ring. Ricky Ponting (Delhi Capitals) and Brendon Mccullum (Kolkata Knight Riders) may make the short list but the more acceptable options could be Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. Both are outstanding players with deep understanding of “subcontinent” conditions and familiar with young Indian players coming through the system.
Ultimately the decision will rest on how the BCCI plays the captain-coach game. The two have to be on the same page, pulling in the same direction and the Virat Kohli-shastri dosti was a factor in India’s amazing recent run. Will the BCCI gift Kohli a coach who is a second lead and plays a supporting role? Or will they take the football and IPL route to appoint a powerful person who holds the remote?
PS: Could mentor MSD be the missing piece in the Team India coach jigsaw puzzle?