I WAS NOT SURPRISED BY KUMBLE’S SELECTION AS INDIA’S HEAD COACH SAYS RAVI SHASTRI

 

 

After Anil Kumble was selected as head coach of Team India, Ravi Shastri said that he was not surprised by Kumble’s selection as India’s head coach. Ravi Shastri said in an interview that, “Anil called me as soon as the appointment was made. I told him that he has a fantastic bunch of boys to work with and I’m sure he’ll take them to greater heights. He asked me if he could talk to me further, and I said any time. I wish him only the very best”..

Ravi Shastri also said about his tenure as director of Indian Team that,  “I’m immensely proud of what we achieved in those 18 months. The boys were at very low ebb at the time I took over as team director”. He further went on to say that,  “From there, we went from strength to strength. We were briefly No. 1 in the Test rankings, No. 2 in ODIs and No. 1 in T20s,”

Ravi Shastri also said about India’s overseas successs during his tenure that, “What gave me greatest satisfaction though were the performances overseas. We showed great heart and character in Australia. We won a one-day series in England for the first time in 24 years. We beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka for the first time since 1993. And the icing on the cake was the World Cup – seven wins on the trot before losing to the eventual champions in the semifinal”.

Talking about the disappointment of not selecting as a head coach, he said that, “Yes, for the work put in, and results produced in the last 18 months. But if it (tenure) was for only one year then, not really. It’s time to move on and do what you do best. I must say I had the ultimate experience with a young and happening side”.