Ravi Shastri controversy: When Anil Kumble quit from the Team India head coach position in June 2017, many thought the legendary leg-spinner was not liked by many in the team, especially by India’s Test team captain Virat Kohli.
Ravi Shastri, who had preceded Kumble and looked after the team for around nine months, was recalled again and given the top job, raising quite a few eyebrows. There were murmurs that Shastri had got Kohli’s backing and the star cricketer never wanted the former all-rounder to leave the coaching setup.
But hardly did anyone know Ravi Shastri’s side of story. The 59-year-old, who brought an end to the 4-year stint as the head coach of the senior India men’s cricket team in November this year, has revealed that “an attempt was made” to bar him from entering the dressing room again.
In an interview with the Times of India, Shastri has minced no words in stating that he was shell shocked at BCCI’s treatment of him after all the hard work he did with the team since his appointment as the team director.
“For all that I had contributed, just on one word from the BCCI, there were better ways to let me know ‘Oh look we don’t want you, we don’t like you. We want somebody else’ – if that was the case. Anyway, I went back to do what I do best – which is television,” Shastri told TOI.
“Around nine months passed, and I didn’t even have a clue that there was anything wrong inside the team. I mean, what could’ve been wrong? I was told there was a real problem and I said – how can there be a problem in nine months? The team that I had left was in such a good space. How the hell in nine months could something go that drastically wrong?”
They came back to the very guy they threw out: Shastri
Further, the Mumbai-born said that there were people who did not want to see his return to the Indian dressing room, adding that Bharat Arun inclusion in the setup as the bowling coach was also opposed.
“During my second stint, I came after a huge controversy. And it was literally egg on the faces of those who wanted me away. They opted for someone and nine months later, they came back to the very guy they threw out.
“Yes. They didn’t want to give me Bharat Arun either as the bowling coach. And looking at how things pan out – the very guy they didn’t want as the bowling coach went on to become the finest this country has ever had. And I’m not pointing any fingers at people in general. Specific people. I must say an attempt was made to ensure I don’t get the job. But such is life,” Shastri added.
Shastri could not win an ICC trophy with the team under his stint, but he walked the talk by guiding the Men in Blue to numerous glories in the white-ball format. In Test cricket too, India registered back-to-back Test series win in Australia, were leading the 5-Test series in England 2-1 when the last match was postponed due to Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp, put up a spirited performance in South Africa and also reached the final of inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) before going down to New Zealand on the sixth and final day of the rain-marred match.
‘WTC loss disappointed me no end’
Talking about the WTC final loss, Shastri admitted that India should have at least played a draw despite the conditions favouring New Zealand.
“We went through quarantine. New Zealand were better prepared. They had just won the series against England in England. Conditions suited them like home. But we should have at least drawn it, especially after beginning at 60 for no loss. That loss disappointed me no end,” he said.
Ravi Shastri’s record as Team India head coach
Tests: 43 matches, 25 wins, 13 losses, 5 draws
ODIs: 76 matches, 51 wins, 22 losses, 2 tied, 1 no-result
T20Is: 64 matches, 42 wins, 18 losses, 2 tied, 2 no-result
Ravi Shastri controversy: Former head coach lashes out, says ‘Some plotted against me to not get the job’
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