Sourav Ganguly Backs Virat Kohli To Have His Say About Who Should Be Coach

Virat Kohli, while addressing the media ahead of Team India's departure for month-long West Indies tour, said the team would be very happy if Ravi Shastri continued as the head coach. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is on a lookout for a new head coach, along with the other support staff, Virat Kohli's comments didn't go well among many cricket fans and critics. However, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly backed Virat Kohli's statement, saying the captain has the right to make such comments.

"He is the captain so, he has got the right to say," Ganguly told reporters on the sidelines of the prize distribution ceremony at an event.

In his pre-departure press conference, Kohli had said: "The CAC (Cricket Advisory Committee) hasn't contacted me yet. If they want my opinion, I'll go and speak to them. With Ravi bhai, we share a great camaraderie, and will definitely be very happy if he continues. But I haven't been contacted so far."

CAC co-member Anshuman Gaekwad told IANS that that they will go in with an open mind when they sit down to interview the short-listed candidates.

The CAC -- comprising India's first World Cup winning captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, former batsman and coach Gaekwad and former women's captain Shanta Rangaswamy -- have been entrusted with the job of selecting a new head coach.

The current coaching staff were handed an extension till the tour of the West Indies as their contract expired after the World Cup. India will play three Twenty20 internationals, three ODIs and two Tests in USA and the Caribbean.

"We have to go with an open mind. There are interviews to be conducted. Lot of people from India and abroad have applied. We have to go there and assess things," Gaekwad said.

Asked if the committee would keep Kohli in the loop before picking the next coach, Gaekwad said it was not mandatory.

"The captain can say anything. It doesn't bother us. We are a committee. That's his opinion and the BCCI takes a note of it, not us.

"It all depends on BCCI. BCCI has to give us guideline and then we will go accordingly. He has already said yesterday (what he wants). When we chose the women's coach, we did not contact anybody. We did it on our own," Gaekwad further said.

Asked about Gaekwad's comments, Ganguly said: "Every individual is different so I cannot comment."

(With IANS inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Virat Kohli Ravi Shastri Sourav Ganguly Cricket West Indies vs India 2019