Ravi Shastri : Ask Sourav Ganguly what problem he has with me

06/28/2016

Former Indian team director Ravi Shastri insisted that he has moved on from the disappointment of not landing the job of India coach. Shastri, now known to have a cordial relationship with Sourav Ganguly, refrained from talking about Ganguly's absence particularly during his interview however.

“My disappointment was there for a day and that is all. And it happened last week. I have moved on,” Ravi Shastri told Times of Indian in an exclusive interview.

Former Indian international Anil Kumble was appointed as the head coach of the national team after a rigorous selection process, which started with 57 applicants. However, questions have been raised as to whether Kumble's appointment was premeditated, with reports suggesting that initially his name was not included in the 21-man short list the BCCI provided to the Cricket Advisory Committee.

When Shastri was questioned whether he thinks it was premeditated, the 54-year-old said, “Again, I am no one to answer that. My job was to prepare a team. I was able to do it with the best of ability. Right now, India are among the top two teams in world cricket in all formats,” reported TOI.

When asked about whether the interviewing process was transparent enough, Shastri said, “My job was to give an interview, which I had given. What happened inside is not my lookout.”

Sourav Ganguly, who has not always shared a warm relation with Ravi Shastri, was absent during Shastri interview with the committee. When Shastri was asked about the problem between the duo, he said, “All I can say that is that Ganguly wasn't there when I was interviewed and you should ask what problem Ganguly has with me instead of asking me,” reported TOI.

Also read: Anil Kumble | Can the legendary bowler transform into a great coach?

Shastri also revealed details of his presentation in front of the committee.

“First of all, I wasn't giving any interview for the job of a CEO. I had very good discussion with Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Jagdale and VVS Laxman about the future of Indian cricket. We also spoke about the good things that happened during my tenure as the team director. I think that our overseas performances were good. Most importantly, the boys responded well and they are hungry for success. We are not No. 1 in Test cricket today only because we haven't played the format for last six months,” Shastri explained.

The former Test cricketer is, however, open to offering his help to the national team in the future, when he is called upon. “Of course, I am always ready to help them. Right now, I want a break from cricket for sometime,” he said.

When asked about his views on MS Dhoni's captaincy in the shorter formats of the game, he said, “Dhoni is one of the greatest cricketers of our times. The way he still runs 100 metres, he is still the best in the team. I think he still has three to four years of cricket left in him. However, somewhere down the line and depending on the frequency of whichever format is being played regularly, you may have to look at Virat Kohli captaining India in all formats. But it's a call for the selectors. I also feel Dhoni would be a lot more relaxed like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid without the burden of captaincy at some point.”

Ravi Shastri also candidly spoke about his 'dream run' as the Team Director, and believes that the team lack a bit of consistency in the bowling department, which someone like Anil Kumble will be able to resolve.

“I had a dream run with the team for 18 months. In the next three years, we are in the process of achieving more. I am also happy that the talented team was able to achieve quite a lot of things during my tenure. Starting from becoming the No. 1 Test team in the world to doing well in ODIs and T20s in England and Australia, we played good cricket. We need to be consistent with bowling a bit and with Anil Kumble at the helm, I am sure our bowling will improve in the days to come. As far as I am concerned, it was indeed a memorable journey. I don't have any regrets,” Shastri told TOI.

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