Internet Desk: The long wait for India coach is over as former captain Anil Kumble is appointed the head coach for a term of 1 year. Board president Anurag Thakur made the formal announcement at the BCCI conclave in Dharamsala on Thursday.
Kumble faced stiff challenges from Ravi Shastri, who had a successful stint as Team Director with the Indian team. It also puts an end to the speculation that has been doing rounds for the last 72 hours. The Cricket Advisory Committee that included stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman was bowled over by Jumbo’s presentation in Kolkata on Tuesday.
According to sources, the CAC was bowled over by the presentation made by Kumble on how he sees India topping the charts in all three formats of the game. Shastri, the other top contender, appeared via video conference as he was out of the country. The sources also confirmed that what might have gone against Shastri was that he failed to give any presentation to the committee.
Among the other men who were invited for an interview were Lalchand Rajput, Pravin Amre, Tom Moody, Stuart Law and Andy Moles. Chief Selector Sandeep Patil, who had also applied for the post, was not interviewed.
Apart from the announcement of head coach, there was speculation that former Team Director of Indian team Ravi Shastri, would be appointed as the batting coach. But BCCI President Anurag Thakur said that the remainder of the coaching staff had not been chosen. The names of the batting, bowling and fielding coach will be announced before Indian team fly to the Caribbean in the first week of July.
India was without a coach post the ICC World Twenty20 after which the contract with Shastri got terminated. Sanjay Bangar was appointed as the stand-in coach for the tour of Zimbabwe.
Kumble holds a very impressive CV as a cricketer. He is India’s highest wicket taker in tests with 619 dismissals with a memorable best of 10 for 74 in the Kotla Test against Pakistan, which made him the only bowler after Jim Laker to claim all 10 in an innings. Besides, he claimed 35 five-wicket hauls and scored a hundred and five fifties in his Test career.
In 271 ODIs, Kumble took 337 wickets, with his famous 6 for 12 in the Hero Cup final against the West Indies etched in the memories of cricket fans.
During his tenure as captain, the Indian team won tests against Pakistan, South Africa and Australia and a famous away game in Perth, Kumble is believed to have instilled in several of his younger team-mates a win-at-all-costs attitude.
Kumble, who do not possess any coaching experience as such will face the biggest challenge in the next one year as the coach of the Indian team. He was the mentor for two IPL franchises, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians.
He also served as the President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and was also appointed as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy. Currently, Kumble chairs the ICC cricket committee.
Kumble’s first assignment as Indian coach will be the test series in West Indies which starts from first week of July. He will get an opportunity with the Indian cricketers selected for the test series in a pre-tour camp that will be held from June 29 at Bangalore’s National Cricket Academy.