Indian to coach India after 16 years as Kumble steps up

DHARAMSALA: The Indian cricket board on Thursday made former skipper and spin great Anil Kumble the national coach for a one-year term, ending a 16-year tradition

DHARAMSALA: The Indian cricket board on Thursday made former skipper and spin great Anil Kumble the national coach for a one-year term, ending a 16-year tradition of giving foreigners the role.

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The announcement suggested that an advisory committee of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman prevailed in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to pick their former teammate from a 21-candidate shortlist, which included former cricketer Ravi Shastri.

The 45-year-old Kumble holds the Indian record for most Test and one-day international wickets — 619 and 334 respectively — but hardly has any coaching credentials.

He becomes the first homegrown coach after a string of foreign coaches since Kiwi John Wright’s appointment in 2000. The legendary Kapil Dev coached the team before Wright.

“It’s a huge responsibility, ready to take this role. Coaches come later, it’s always players first. Strategy will be to win,” said Kumble, who led India in 14 Tests.

India have a packed schedule of 13 Tests, which will help the cricket bosses assess how Kumble gels with young Test skipper Virat Kohli who had struck an excellent rapport with Shastri, the team’s director.