Newly appointed head coach Ravi Shastri wants to bring back Bharath Arun as a full-time bowling coach, despite the selection of Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant, reported PTI.
It appears that the Cricket Advisory Committee did not discuss the support staff with Shastri before recommending Zaheer. However, the former pacer’s role is similar to Rahul Dravid – that of a consultant. He will be reportedly available for about 100 days, while a full-time bowling coach has to be around for almost 250 days a year. Besides, his salary package has not yet been inked as negotiations are still on.
According to sources quoted by PTI, Shastri is expected to meet the top officials and the Committee of Administrators (COA) during the weekend as he is expected to cut short his trip to United Kingdom.
“Ravi has highest regard for Zaheer but he believes that a full-time bowling coach is required. Let Zak create a roadmap for bowlers and it will be Arun who will implement it. Ravi is expected to speak to COA on Saturday and make it clear that he would like Arun to join the team from Sri Lanka tour itself,” a reliable BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Earlier, when Shastri was asked about his choice of bowling coach, he had said Arun but one particular member of CAC was against it. Shastri then apparently said that, “Give me Jason Gillespie then”. Gillespie is widely acknowledged as the best bowling coach in the cricketing fraternity.
However, Shastri knew that BCCI can’t rope in someone like Gillespie, who is already contracted with Papua New Guinea. The BCCI has also kept Venkatesh Prasad’s name on standby but it is unlikely Shastri will settle for anyone other than Arun.
Prasad, however, may not be liked by the Indian team as one complaint against him during his earlier tenure was turning quick bowlers into line and length medium fast bowlers.
Arun didn’t have a distinguished playing career but has always been regarded as a great academy coach with a sound grip on the theories related to fast bowling. Arun and Shastri go back a long way having known each other since their U-19 days back in early 80’s. It was on Shastri’s recommendation that erstwhile President N Srinivasan gave a go-ahead to Arun’s appointment with the senior team when he was the bowling consultant at the NCA.
He has already worked with the Indian team, having replaced Joe Dawes in 2014 and was there with the Indian team till 2016 when Shastri was overlooked for the coach’s position, which had gone to Anil Kumble. It remains to be seen, if he will be return to the team under Shastri’s regime.