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"I've spoken to both [Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid], as recent as three to four days ago and they are two fantastic cricketers of India. Their inputs will be invaluable. They will be on board once they have spoken to the authorities concerned. Their inputs will be invaluable and they're most welcome. And I've spoken to both gentlemen personally," said Ravi Shastri, the newly appointed Head Coach of Indian cricket team, whilst addressing a presser on June 18 when BCCI officially announced Bharat Arun as the new bowling coach of Indian cricket team.
There are two points of consideration involved in Shastri’s statement as he heaped praise on Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid and in the very next sentence, stated that they will be in the same boat with him once they have a tete-e-tete with the board.
The concerned authority i.e. the board, was sitting alongside Shastri but the authority did not pay any heed to this matter of utmost gravity and kept mum. They did not even address any question on Dravid and Zaheer.
At the same time, the BCCI also announced an extension for Sanjay Bangar, R Sridhar, Shankar Basu and Patrick Farhat. Bangar, along with an extension also got an elevation as now the former batting coach will be the Assistant Coach of the Indian cricket team.
What does this promotion entail? As a journalist pointed out on Twitter, whether we are a trainee reporter or a special correspondent, the role is the same -- implying that Banger's promotion is more in nomenclature than role, and although he has been given the tag of ‘Assistant Coach’ his job role will probably remain unchanged. This is because there is neither any batting coach nor any consultant.
The appointment of coach of the Indian cricket team has turned into a mockery since the day Anil Kumble resigned and the BCCI has emerged as the ultimate clown as the above plays out.
Going by the role given to Dravid - an official word regarding which is yet awaited - he should have been present at three places at the same time. First in England, where India U-19 team is gearing up to take on the host side. Second in the India A camp, which will fly to South Africa in a day or two for a month long tour, and the third one on the bus that went to Mumbai airport to board the flight to Sri Lanka.
Ironically, he is present at just one place i.e. the India A camp which means he is not there with team India in his first ever assignment. For this, the employer -- namely the BCCI -- is to be blamed, not the employee.
Coming to Zaheer Khan, who in the UK, spending time with family and friends. A callousness shown by BCCI in trespassing the rules laid down by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) saw the former Indian pacer not going with the team to Sri Lanka, which was to be his first assignment. It is an overseas tour and he should have been there but now there is no need for him when Bharat Arun has been brought in to discharge the duties.
Dravid’s and Zaheer’s (non)-appointment have already caused an outcry in public. They shouldn’t have been given the role by BCCI when Shastri and Kohli were not ready to share the dressing room with these two. Why make it an issue, unnecessarily?
Not appointing Zaheer and Dravid would have done no harm. Instead, the BCCI went ahead and laid down the red carpet for the two, only to have it pulled out from underneath them.
The Indian cricket team has already reached Sri Lanka and the dust arising from the appointment of coaches is now settling.
Will there be any official statement on the role of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid? Will any official now come out to utter a word on them and the mishap that ensued the hasty appointments? Doesn’t seem like it. Which means that the contracts of Dravid and Zaheer have already been disbanded even before the board was to print a copy of their appointment letters.
The CAC in this matter looks like a group of children who had promised a treat to their friends but because of the lack of support from parents has had to bow down, leaving the whole situation in limo.
Moving ahead, Ravi Shastri is back with an eye on the 2019 World Cup Trophy. He has clearly mentioned that it's his core team and there might be a case where there will be no possibility of any change which means that there may be no entry for Dravid and Zaheer in the Indian staff.
Shastri has been given the job to his man Bharat Arun, his former teammate at India U-19 side. His role can't be questioned, due to his credentials and accolades which he earned while working with other sides, but his appointment seems to be a case of favouritism and nepotism, which is certainly questionable.
Coming next to Sanjay Bangar -- he is set to complete his five-year term with team India --the same duration for which a government in India is elected in at the centre and the state. Incidentally, Bangar first made an entry in the Indian backroom staff in 2014, the same year -- when India got a new Prime Minister -- and his contract will now come to an end in 2019, the same year when new elections will be held. Bangar’s fate will be decided again the same year.
R Sridhar has been retained for next two years. He was replaced by Abhay Sharma for two series in the past but this time has been given a rope for two more years, in the core team of Ravi Shastri. Patrick Farhat and Shankar Basu were also retained as there was no choice or may be BCCI didn’t want to supersede these two.
The Indian team and the core team of Shastri have their the eyes on the World Cup 2019 but some bigger challenges await them as the number of World Cup Trophies is not the right parameter to judge a captain, coach and players.
A string of overseas Test series against South Africa, England and Austria will be the real test, serving as a barometer for the camaraderie between Kohli-Shastri. Other members have a crucial role too but these two had their say in deciding who will be part of the team leading India and as such, they are the ones to be held accountable for how India’s cricket story pans out in the near future.
