Former India all-rounder Robin Singh has applied for the head coach position, stating that a change could be good for the national men’s team after their recent World Cup exit, according to a report in the Hindu on Sunday.
Current head coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff, who were handed a 45-day extension after their contract came to an end during the tournament, were told to reapply as the Board of Control for Cricket in India invited fresh applications.
“Under the current coach, India has lost in the semi-finals of two successive ODI World Cups, and in the last four stage of the World Twenty20 championship as well. Now is the time to prepare for the 2023 World Cup and a change could be good for the side,” Singh told the Hindu after sending in his application.
Singh has been part of the Indian support staff before, holding the role of the fielding coach between 2007 and ‘09. That stint saw India win a Test series in England, lift the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa as well succeeding in the triangular ODI series trophy in Australia for the first time. He has also been part of the India A and Under-19 sides before, and has held a coaching role with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
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Asked about India’s tactics in the semi-final, Singh said that he would have held Virat Kohli back for the No 4 slot in the semi-final against New Zealand, and played MS Dhoni at No 5. The former captain was demoted in the order for the match, and that decision came in for criticism as India lost to New Zealand in Manchester. Singh added that he would have played Mohammad Shami and Mayank Agarwal in the XI for that knockout fixture.
“Kohli and Dhoni could have batted together. Then, we could have had the three power hitters, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja coming in,” Singh is quoted as saying.
Earlier, the BCCI appointed a three-member panel headed by Kapil Dev to select India’s head coach. Apart from Kapil, the panel, which picked the women’s coach in December last year, comprises former women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy and former men’s coach Anshuman Gaekwad.
Gaekwad had said recently that Shastri would be the favourite to retain the role.
“Speaking purely from the results perspective, he has done quite well. So, besides Ravi, all other positions [in the coaching and support staff] in my opinion are open depending on who is applying, their credentials and whether they meet the criteria of the BCCI,” former India coach Gaekwad was quoted as saying by Mid-day.
