It’s Not About Anil or Ravi, Players Important: Anil Kumble on Head Coach Row

Anil Kumble, in his first interaction with the media, said the success of the Indian cricket team depended on the players, not who was the head coach. Kumble had got the better of Ravi Shastri for the coach’s job

Anil Kumble did well to sweep the head coach appointment row by saying that it did not matter if he or Ravi Shastri did the job for the senior national team.

“The players are important. They are the ones who will be the front. The support staff will play its role from the background,” Kumble said in Bangalore on Wednesday, his first media interaction after being appointed head coach for a year.

Kumble appointment ahead of Shastri raised quite a few eyebrows. Shastri was team director for 18 months and India made it to the semifinals of two World Cup tournaments. Shastri was a top contender for the job till Kumble became a candidate and won the backing of the BCCI’s cricket advisory committee.

“It’s not about Ravi or Anil. We all want the Indian team to do well. Ravi has done a great job as team director. Today it’s me, tomorrow can be another man. I was the first man to call Ravi and he congratulated me,” said Kumble.

“From my point of view, we all want Indian team to do well, and perform at its best. We all believe that India team has the potential to dominate all three formats. He (Ravi) was part of this journey and (now) I am part of this journey. That’s all what I have to say.

“It could be somebody else tomorrow. I am not permanent here in this role. I have an opportunity to make a difference and I have an opportunity to be part of a journey. I am privileged and honoured to be part of this journey,” Kumble said.

Wednesday was the first day of India’s preparatory camp for the tour of West Indies. The team is training at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for a four-Test series in the Caribbean in July-August.

[Source  NDTV]