Ayub hopes to restore Hyderabad’s glory days

The President of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Arshad Ayub has drawn up a ‘workable’ strategy whereupon he intends to go all-out in the Association’s determined bid to regain Hyderabad its rightful place among the top four teams in the Ranji Trophy.

Although he has been on two important assignments for India since returning as the President of HCA, Ayub points out that he is in constant touch with the Secretary (K John Manoj) and other panelists in order to ensure that the affairs of the Association go on, considering the importance of the ensuing season holds for Hyderabad.

The priority is in hoping to have Hyderabad back in the Elite group, as ‘we have been too long in the Plate Division.’ "At this point in time, I am looking to develop cricket here. You know we lost the image as a formidable outfit for some time now. I want to restore lost glory. We used to be one of the top four teams of the country,” points out the 56-year-old former off-spinner, who has played 13 Tests and 32 ODIs during a four-year international career.

He has been fortunate on the administrative front as he has been the manager of Team India on three important overseas outings, including Bangladesh in 2010, the series Down Under and the subsequent World Cup of this year. Does he expect any more such plum offers? "See it is like this. Whatever role I can play for BCCI, I will be more than happy to that."

Having seen the Indian cricket team set-up from close quarters, Ayub says that the players are responding well to Team Director Ravi Shastri and the current support staff should be given a one-year run to make a difference. "I think Shastri is doing a very good job. He is working well with the team and the result is there for everybody to see. He has brought in his vast experience and the boys are responding to his mentorship. So I think at the moment the present set-up is working really well for the unit.

"Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar are all competent in their respective departments," he added. Ayub said that an Indian can fit into the role of a coach in a better way than a foreigner. "With a foreign coach there is always that problem of communication. That is what I feel. But having said that, the team did so well under (Gary) Kirsten.

He really brought the best out of the guys. I was the team manger when India toured Bangladesh under Kirsten's mentorship. So it depends on person to person, although, personally, I would go with an Indian coach," he said.