Anil Kumble appointed as India Coach

The BCCI has today appointed Anil Kumble as the team's head coach. Indid's greatest match-winner has been given an initial term of a year.
Think it is a good call from the BCCI.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/1028683.html

Its a bold move given his almost total lack of real coaching experience, and only a year as Indian captain. Great player yes, but does that equate to national coach material overnight?

I assume the "head coach" role will be more of a director/manager/selector post with the real technical coaching done and led by a team of experts.

Is some of his popularity down to it being an Indian appointment rather than yet another big name foreign coach who fails to engage with the players? Thats certainly one thing in his favour, he should have the respect of and be able to communicate well with the team as a leader if maybe less so as a technical coach.

Is noone questioning that the decision has been made by 3 of his chums? It doesnt sound like the board has given him over enthusiastic backing with a one year deal. No matter how they try and sell it a positive it does show they see him as a risk and dont want to be lumbered with a big contract to pay off if it doesnt go well.


I'd be interested to see the detailed arguments given in his favour by the advisory board.

Kumble stood out for

1) Methodical disciplined approach towards coaching.....as was evident in his blue print presented
and the highest weighted factor that the committee ( of Ganguly, Tendulkar and VVSL) was looking for was the answer to " How will you help win overseas test matches"

2) and on this measure...he stood out heads and shoulders above the rest....as one who has been in it and gone through the pains ( largely ) and some joys of overseas wins in recent era.
hence as one who can relate to modern day cricket....test cricket balanced/ dispersed / diluted by the deluge of T20s and IPL...how to focus on the biggest objective given to him...WIN OVERSEAS TESTS.

He was the only one in the race who has seen, felt it, done it ... in this era....is familiar with modern methods of training, fitness diet, technology, sports injuries and medicine and rehabilitation
the other two contenders were---> Shastri and Sandeep Patil....bellies bulging from 1980s...who even though had coaching experience are far from the pains and remedies physical and mental in the modern game.
Others like Rajput were also from 1980s and not even a top international

Mind you Shastri delivered results in his brief run as a Team director....more attributing to motivational aspect of the game....he would have made a good old fashioned "Team Manager"....not a modern day all incharge head coach.


3) It is seen as a head coach Kumble will lead the bowling coaching on his shoulders, and he is ably supported by low profile but hard working Bangar and Abhay sharma for batting and fielding respectively.... who have already established themselves in those roles for sometime.

India needed foreign coaches in late 1990s when the domestic players and coaches were not exposed to modern technology aided support to the game.
Now the player of 1990s and 2000 era know the technology and know how to use it...and best of them are most suited to be coaches.

Once Kumble entered the race he was gonna win it hands down....unless Dravid was in the race too.

1 year term is not a mark of lack of trust in Kumble...but rather mark of the clerical bureaucratic ways that BCCI still han't gotten rid of.

he will go untill the next world cup atleast

Kumble does not have coaching experience as such, other than some engagements with Mumbai Indians in the IPL. But he was considered a sharp analyst of the game during his playing days, and has a mature temperament. Virat Kohli is set to take over the captaincy in all formats sooner rather than later, and Kohli's aggression has to be matched with some even tempered approach which I thought Ravi Shastri wasn't able to deliver.
And I would agree with all the points made by KPF, other than the bit on contract duration. Have feeling the BCCI didn't wantto take a huge chance as such and would like to see the results for the next year or so. But yes, I hope and think Kumble will be able to deliver and will be there at least up to the 2019 WC.