Sourav Ganguly feels the Kumble-Kohli episode should have been handled better

What’s the story?

Former India captain and member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should have handled the rift between ex-India coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli in a better way.

“The matter should have been handled a lot better. The fiasco between Kumble and Kohli should have been handled by whoever was in charge. It was not handled properly,” Ganguly told reporters.

When Ganguly was asked to give his comments on the Ravi Shastri’s application for the post of the head coach, he said, “Everybody has got the right to apply. We will find out. I can also apply provided I am not an administrator.”

In case you didn’t know...

The BCCI extended the deadline for applying for the post of the Indian cricket team coach to July 9, after Anil Kumble’s sudden and unceremonious exit. It was then widely speculated that the extension was made in keeping with Kohli’s wish to have Shastri as the coach since the two are known to share a good camaraderie.

The heart of the matter

Last year when Kumble was chosen over Shastri for the head coach, there was a war of words between Shastri and Ganguly. The former Team India director had objected to Ganguly’s absence during his presentation which he gave over Skype, while the CAC member retaliated by saying that had Shastri taken the interview seriously, he would have given it in person rather than on a video call from Bangkok, where he was holidaying.

Along with Ganguly, the other two members of the CAC are Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. And while the trio will interview the candidates and suggest the best replacement for Kumble, the ultimate call will be made by the BCCI.

What’s next?

Shastri is now the frontrunner among other applicants

India are currently playing West Indies in the Caribbean without a head coach. Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar and senior players MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh are trying to fill up the shoes of the absent coach. But BCCI has set the deadline for a new coach before the tour to Sri Lanka in July. The three frontrunners in the race are Tom Moody, Virender Sehwag and Ravi Shastri.

Author’s take

Enjoying the full backing of Virat Kohli and the BCCI officials, Shastri, who was the team director from 2014 to 2016, he is the clear favourite for the job. And as long as his partnership with the captain can yield dividends for the team, his appointment should not be a problem.