A look at the five candidates interviewed by CAC for Indian coaching role

Sport360 staff 12:25 11/07/2017
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  • Ravi Shastri: One of the favourites.

    The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising of Sachin Tendulkar (via Skype), Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman interviewed five candidates for the role of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.

    According to Ganguly, Phil Simmons – who was on the shortlist – wasn’t available for an interview on Monday.

    Here’s a look at the five candidates who were interviewed.

    RAVI SHASTRI

    Shastri lost out on the job to Anil Kumble last year after having served as the Team Director for nearly two years.

    The former Indian all-rounder worked alongside then head coach Duncan Fletcher until the World Cup in 2015 which saw India reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

    Following the end of Fletcher’s contract after the World Cup, Shastri stayed on for another year – a period in which India tasted success in Test cricket and reached the semi-finals of the World T20 at home. They were not quite successful in ODIs though, losing series to Bangladesh, South Africa, and Australia.

    VIRENDER SEHWAG

    In the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sehwag was the Head of Cricket Operations and Strategy for Kings XI Punjab. Under his watch, Kings XI finished fifth in the league stage which was an improved performance from the previous two seasons when the team had finished last.

    Sehwag had a glorious international career as a cricketer, scoring 8586 Test and 8273 ODI runs. He was part of the Indian team that won the World T20 in 2007 and the World Cup in 2011.

    One thing that could work in Sehwag’s favour is the fact that he knows the players well, having played alongside most of them.

    TOM MOODY

    Moody has held various coaching roles since retiring as a professional cricketer and this is not the first time that he has applied to become the coach of the Indian team.

    Moody’s most noticeable coaching stint came with Sri Lanka as he guided the team to the World Cup final in 2007. He has been in multiple coaching roles since and has been the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2013.

    Under Moody, Sunrisers went on to win the IPL title in 2016.

    LALCHAND RAJPUT

    Despite being prolific in first-class cricket, Rajput played just two Tests for India. Following his retirement as a player, he has become a familiar name with cricket fans because of his coaching roles.

    A memorable moment for Rajput came when he was the manager of the Indian cricket team during the 2007 World T20. A young Indian side, who weren’t quite fancied before the tournament, went on to lift the trophy.

    He is currently the head coach of Afghanistan who recently drew an ODI series against West Indies.

    RICHARD PYBUS

    Pybus has held several coaching roles over the years, with his most famous one being as the head coach of Pakistan when they reached the final of the World Cup in 1999.

    He coached Bangladesh for a brief while in 2012 after which he was appointed the director of West Indies cricket.

    Pybus has also enjoyed a lot of success in South African domestic cricket.

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