"I never thought of making a fast bowler as a captain" - Ravi Shastri
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri admitted that he never considered the possibility of making a fast bowler the captain of the Indian team. Jasprit Bumrah is currently one of the candidates up for the Test captaincy following Virat Kohli's resignation.
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Shastri acknowledged that appointing a fast bowler would be difficult in the subcontinent, especially in India. He added should a fast bowler be up for the task, it should be an all-rounder. While speaking to Shoaib Akhtar on his YouTube channel, Shastri said:
"I never thought of making a fast bowler as a captain. I never thought in that fashion at that time. It would be difficult in India. I think a fast bowler captain has to be an all-rounder or he has to be a Bob Willis kind of bowler who will be aggressive and try to take wickets."
He added:
"Very rarely has a fast bowler been captain unless he is an all-time great all-rounder like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan or Sir Gary."
Shastri also stressed the importance of the upcoming phase in Indian cricket. Following his departure, there has been a complete overhaul in coaching and leadership personnel.
With two World Cups coming up in quick succession, Shastri feels that pushing young players to the highest level, identifying and incorporating them into the senior squad will be key. He said:
"It's a very important period for Indian cricket, there will be a period of transition in the next 8-10 months. It's important to identify the right kind of players who will take you forward in 4-5 years. I always believe that there should be a mix between youth and experience."
He added:
"Sometimes, that balance needs to be changed for the sake of the future, this is that time in Indian cricket. India will have to bring in the youth now quickly, use the experience in hand and then take it forward."
"After losing in England and South Africa, I knew that we were on the way" - Ravi Shastri
Shastri also talked about Team India's series defeats in England and South Africa in the 2017-18 window. Despite losing six matches across the two tours, India were competitive. Kohli himself has admitted that the win in Johannesburg in 2018 is where the ascend began for the team. Shastri explained:
"I had said that I wanted to make India the best traveling side in the world, people started laughing, but indirectly it was a challenge to the boys. We lost in England 4-1 at first, I believe that series could have been 3-2 in our favour, just needed a little luck. Then closely, we lost 2-1 to South Africa. But After losing in England and South Africa, I knew that we were on the way. "
He added:
"We turned a corner in Australia, now Australia is probably the toughest place in the world to play. They're born to play hard, they're physically fit and they want to win at all costs. I knew that if we could compete here, it would be the ultimate thing."
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