Ricky Ponting
Justin Langer
VVS Laxman
AB de Villiers
Andy Flower
Mahela Jayawardene
Stephen Fleming
Gautam Gambhir.
For just one post — the Indian men’s cricket team head coach, each day a new name keeps appearing as a contender. Some reports suggest that KKR mentor Gambhir might be the frontrunner for the post, but there are others claiming, no decision has been made. On certain occasions, the names of Langer and Ponting also made the headlines, but BCCI secretary Jay Shah clarified, that no such move was made by the board.
Then who actually is going to take over from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup? The suspense is at an all-time high, and so is the guess work from the fans and the media. But what is clear over the last few years is, this Indian team can only be, or should be managed by and Indian ‘Guru’ and not a foreign coach. And there are a few concrete reasons for it.
Knows the Indian Cricket System Inside-out
Let us just assume for a moment that Gambhir gets the India job. Forget the 250 odd international matches he has played for India, but he was a domestic giant as well. He has over 500 domestic games to his name too, that could come in as a huge plus. He would know the upcoming players from different states, would be in touch with a few others.. and so on. He would just have a better grasp on the Indian system.
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Whereas say, if Ponting was to join India, he would take some time in getting used to the Indian ways, forget about scouting or looking out for domestic players.
Indian Coach Would Know, What to Expect
When Ravi Shastri or even Rahul Dravid came into the Indian side as coaches, they knew what they were getting into. The pressures of the job were known, and also how to go about their business. They were even perhaps better equipped to deal with the senior players in the team, who are just the biggest cricketers in the world. Plus, being top players themselves, helped. Additionally, just the basic knowledge of do’s and don’ts with the Indian team is always a bonus.
Dealing with Media
The giant that Indian media has become over the years, and the sometimes the amount of questions they have, it is not everyone’s cup of tea, to deal with them. Perhaps, an Indian is better suited to be an India coach in this regard too. Being diplomatic is the way to go and an Indian coach might do that well.
No Language Barrier
A foreign coach might be helpful, but might have limitations, when it comes to communicating ideas with the players. Even though English is widely used in the country, but it is not a given that a player might be comfortable with the language. And that is where, and Indian guru is of utmost importance.
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