IND vs SA Live: Coach and captain to pick team? Former head coach Ravi Shastri wants India to follow England’s pattern and give the power to the coach and captain to have a say in team selection. England currently have scrapped the selection committee and has given the head coach and the captain the power to select the team. Follow India vs South Africa Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
“I think it is extremely important for the coach and the captain to have a say in the team selection, officially going forward. It is very important especially if the coach is experienced enough. I was, Rahul (Dravid is) and the captain should also have a say,” Ravi Shastri said on a Star Sports show.
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’
Ravi Shastri cited the team selection for 2019 World Cup when Ambati Rayudu was dropped in favour of a third-wicketkeeper. Shastri said he wanted to have just two wicketkeepers as MS Dhoni was certain to play all games.
Should the coach & the captain have a say in the #TeamIndia squad selection? 🤔
Share your thoughts & find out what @RaviShastriOfc has to say on #BoldAndBrave: The Shastri Way:#Byjus #CricketLIVE | Day 4, Lunch | 1st #FreedomSeries #SAvIND Test | Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/r0BCk4IW1G
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 29, 2021
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’
Currently, the selection committee only asks for inputs from the head coach and the captain, leaving the decision entirely to the committee. The captain and the coach do not have veto power and must be backed by a selector.
However, the recent friction between the team management and the selection committee has forced Ravi Shastri to think otherwise. The team management and the selection committee were conflicted on the selection of Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup.
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’
While the selection committee chairman promised that Hardik Pandya will be available to bowl full quota, he was clearly unfit and that didn’t go down well with the team management. Furthermore, the lack of communication between the players and selection committee has been recently exposed by Test skipper Virat Kohli himself.
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’
More power to coach and captain – a good idea?
While Ravi Shastri does raise a valid point, the current situation of England says otherwise. England and Wales Cricket Board disbanded the selection committee, giving team selection power to chief coach Chris Silverwood and the two captains Joe Root (Test) and Eoin Morgan (ODI, T20I).
But it hasn’t gone according to plans. The team selection has been marred by errors and former England batsman Ian Bell has asked for the selection committee to be restored.
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’
“One of the hardest things, and I was very shocked if I’m honest with you, was when we went away from the chairman of selectors thing. Even looking at it from a player’s point of view you’re not stupid enough to think (Chris Silverwood) is not part of selection, but since he is head selector, how would you have the honest conversations with the head coach and say, ‘I might be struggling a little bit here’, because he is the man who’s making all the decisions,” Ian Bell told ‘Sportsday’.
“I think you need a chairman of selectors who sits outside of the dressing room sometimes, who’s not attached to all the players emotionally or what’s going on a daily basis and can actually see things from a different set of eyes, which I think is really important,” Ian Bell said.
IND vs SA Live: Just before ODI team selection for SA, Ravi Shastri says ‘give coach and captain say in team selection’