Decision to re-appoint Ravi Shastri was a unanimous one, states Kapil Dev

The three-member CoA committee comprising Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy, who were entrusted with the responsibility of picking the next head coach of Team India, decided to continue with current head coach Ravi Shastri, after conducting a rigorous interview process, which also included four other applicants - Mike Hesson, Robin Singh, Tom Moody and Lalchand Rajput. 

Speaking of the decision, head of the committee Dev said that the decision was a unanimous one, with all members agreeing to re-appoint Shastri as coach. Dev also added that the decision was taken with the players’ well-being kept in the mind, stating that the board also wanted the same.  

“We already decided. The system was very simple. After the meeting of four-five-six hours, all three of hours had our own marking. Neither of us consulted each other. We all unanimously decided after doing all the accounts and number,” Dev was quoted saying by FirstPost.

"We want to make sure the team should get benefitted. That's what we wanted. The board also wants the same thing,” he added.

The World Cup winning skipper also said that skipper Virat Kohli wasn’t consulted before taking the decision, while also adding that the race to pick the coach was indeed a close one. Furthermore, he also gave away the parameters on which the coach was picked.

"We didn't consult Virat Kohli, else we would have asked the entire team. We did not ask anyone.

“There coaching skills, experience, knowledge of the game, game were some of the parameters.

 We decided on a points system, out of hundred how much should be awarded to each candidate. It was a very close race I must tell you,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gaekwad, one of the other two members of the CoA, revealed that having in-depth knowledge of the system and a good relationship with the current crop of players was also one of the reasons why Shastri was favored.

"Being a current coach, knowing the boys and problems in the team, he is well-versed in the system. Somebody knows the system and knows the players very well, he has the advantage,” Gaekwad attested.