Hunt for Team India coach is a big joke

It is inarguably the toughest job in Indian sport. Managing a bunch of cricketers drawn from across a spectrum that is as polarised as the country’s political system is a difficult one because an unabashed ego-ridden mindset takes precedence over everything else.

Irrespective of whether it is loyalty or cultivating a trait where upon one hears only the master’s voice, there is no denying that anyone who ends up as the coach of the national cricket team is in for a nightmarish tenure, whatever be the results and his man-management deftness.

In what can be termed as the biggest joke doing the rounds, there is a mad scramble to land up with the prized job, despite the seemingly visible pitfalls. Several former players, who have thrown their hat in the ring, are jostling with their peers, contemporaries and erstwhile team-mates.

What is it that is making individuals with contrasting approaches aspire for the job knowing very well that it is neither going to be a bed of roses nor would the coach-mentor be exonerated if the team comes a cropper against the big guns. Much like the fluidity surrounding the survival of a football team manager, Team India’s coach, also going by the grandiose name of Team Director, will be the scapegoat if the setbacks one too many. Quite apparently, this was one of the reasons why the contract of Ravi Shastri, the first ‘Director’ in BCCI history, was not renewed.

Given the negativities and reputation-destroying ills that come with the job, one wonders why former players, including a non-controversial greenhorn like Anil Kumble, are vying for it.

Quite apparently, money talks and in this case it spells megabucks. If Shastri could pocket a whopping Rs seven crore annually, the successor will, expectedly, get something more mindboggling. Call it the influence of IPL or whatever, there is this distinct possibility that like the franchises who dole out millions for ‘mentors’ and the support staff, BCCI has been following a similar pattern, although one is not sure if this actually can improve the standards or motivate the players to go for the kill on match days.

Shastri, for all practical purposes, failed to be the inspirational figure that he was expected to be. India had to surrender its top ranking in all three formats of the game while the World Cup title defence campaign was nothing to bloat about.

The allure and the glamour of having the demigods dancing to their tunes have resulted in the Board being flooded with nearly 60 applications. On the face of it, this is a healthy development considering that not only the likes of Kumble and Shastri, but even a rather comfortably placed Sandeep Patil has entered the ring. Of course, this is a different aspect altogether that the resumes of most of the pretenders to the throne would not even be taken up for any meaningful discussion.

Not surprisingly, a handful of ‘meritorious’ overseas players are also in the running, as pointed out by BCCI Secretary, Ajay Shirke. It remains to be seen how the foreign applicants will be treated given the stated stand of the Board that the incumbent should have ‘working’ knowledge of at least one Indian language, whatever that means. Hindi vidwans would smirk if they hear Kumble and VVS Laxman speak in Hindi, which is the predominant language in the dressing room.

One should also understand that coaching a junior team won’t add substance or value to the credentials of the applicant, which probably is one of the reasons for someone like Rahul Dravid to stay away from the madding crowd.

It is still Shastri, who comes across with a better reputation thanks to his experience with the team and the proximity he enjoys with most of the current crop of cricketers, particularly Virat Kohli. However, Shastri will be bringing in an extra baggage comprising Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar. Whether their services can benefit the team or not is beside the point. Will it be worth the investment is the million dollar question.

It is commonplace that champion athletes make for poor managers and coaches, including in individual events like tennis, table tennis and badminton. Given this established governing rule, it is quite a task to zero in on the ‘best’ qualified individual.

Shirke has spoken about selection criteria and that the ultimate choice would be one who fits the bill or comes closest to it. One fails to understand what this could imply. There is every room to suspect that the BCCI will ‘weigh’ the options and merits of those in its customary notorious manner, which means that the choice has already been made and only a formal announcement will be made public.

Forget all talk of meritorious selection, transparent norms, short-listing the number of candidates and democratic practices. Those are meant to please the likes of Justice Lodha. Don’t be surprised if the Mumbai lobby pushes its way and Shastri returns. If Patil gets elevated, then the Board will have to launch a hunt for a chief selector. That is similar to inviting another headache. After all, a known devil is better than an unknown angel. In BCCI parlance, that is the safest bet.

By Sridhar K Penna