Bengaluru: Newly-appointed Indian cricket team head coach Anil Kumble said on Wednesday that the team is more important than individuals.
Kumble’s appointment was preceded by a lot of controversy. Former India team director Ravi Shastri — reportedly the preferred choice of national Test team skipper Virat Kohli — had accused Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly of disrespecting him after the ex-India captain left just before his interview for the coach’s job.
But Kumble sought to dismiss speculation about any bad blood between him and Shastri.
“I was the first one to call Ravi (Shastri). It is not about Ravi or Kumble but it is about the team,” Kumble told reporters here.
Talking about the forthcoming West Indies tour, he said India has a good team with the likes of Kohli, Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma having enough experience to guide the youngsters.
Kumble’s current tenure is for one year but the former leg-spinner chose not to stress on the shortness of the duration, preferring instead to consider it as a journey.
Talking about his role as the coach, Kumble said he knows the responsibilities of being at the helm of the Indian cricket team and clarified that the on-field calls will be made by the captain.
“I am just there to help. I will only assist him and bring the experience,” said Kumble, who was addressing the media for the first time after being appointed as the head coach of the Indian team.
Kumble added that he is looking for maximum outdoor net practice, which would include two practice sessions every day with the morning session starting at 9am and the afternoon session starting at 2pm for the preparatory camp of the travelling Indian team.
With a crowded cricket season ahead, in which India will play 17 Tests over the next one year, the biggest challenge before India’s head coach Anil Kumble is to prepare the players for the five-day version of the game.
Addressing his maiden press conference as head coach of the Indian team, the former leg-spinner said here his immediate focus would be on Test cricket.
“We need to change the mindset of players, as they played a number of Twenty20 matches in the recent months, to prepare for the longer version of the game. This is my biggest challenge at present,” the legendary third highest wicket-taker in the world told reporters here on Wednesday.
Noting that the onus was on the Indian team to bring spectators back to Test matches by making it interesting for them to watch, Kumble said he would do everything to make this happen.
“Next month’s tour of West Indies will be a good challenge for the players and am confident that they will win the series. We are ready for the tour and will prepare well for the four Tests to be played there. The pitches in the isles, unlike in the 1980s, will be similar to Indian pitches and will be on the slower side,” he said.
Admitting that the West Indies are a strong outfit in the limited overs format, the new coach said he was confident that India could beat them in Tests.
“Though only four players in the present squad have played Tests in West Indies, and a couple of them had visited that country as India A players, the team have the talent to come up trumps in the coming tour,” Kumble said.
“As Ishant Sharma had emerged as the Player of the Series when India won the Test series against West Indies last time, he will spearhead the bowling attack. Murali Vijay had also played very well on that tour while (skipper) Virat Kohli will be the key player. Leg spinner Amit Mishra had also played well. So we are confident,” Kumble asserted.
Kumble hinted that he would take up the mantle of training the fast bowlers, as India does not have a fast bowling coach at present.
“It is important that we have one, but it may not be possible at this juncture to (appoint and) take a fast bowling coach to West Indies. I want to see what I can do in this regard,” he said.
