Ravi Shastri has a big clout in the BCCI and is a favourite for Team India’s coaching job which would be announced shortly but one feels he is an misfit and Sandeep Patil is the right candidate for the job. Shastri is a great administrator apart from being an elite commentator who has other business interests than coaching. Sandeep Patil on the other hand is a seasoned coach who has trained international teams as well in world cup with distinction. A cricketing brain apart from being a tough task master, he is not new to the job as has coached our team in the past.
BCCI should think on merit and go for Patil over Shastri for the job of a coach while Ravi Shastri could be appointed as manager which would be more fruitful for the team. Balwinder Singh Sandhu too has applied for the job and he could be given the job of bowling coach for his experience and hard work as that would benefit Indian seamers who would gain a lot from his skills. Hope better sense prevails and BCCI appoint right man for the job to take Indian cricket to great heights which is the job of the cricket board of the country!
S.N. Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
