Virat Kohli does not subscribe to the view that the former greats roped into the cricket advisory committee by the BCCI on top of retaining Ravi Shastri as team director could be more of the same thing. On the contrary, the Test skipper believes the inputs from the quartet will lift the youngsters in the team.
India will play a one-off Test and three ODIs in Bangladesh starting next week, but the board is yet to find a successor for Duncan Fletcher, whose tenure as coach ended with the World Cup. With Shastri retained to guide the team, the big question is what role Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman will play as the advisory panel members.
Kohli tip-toed around the absence of Rahul Dravid, the other member of the ‘Fab Four’ who reportedly did not join the panel due to past friction with Ganguly. “If you see the players in the committee, for anyone who has played or has desire to play for India, we look up to them. They are players who have played recently, and are going to help out. It is a perfect situation. It is for us to make the most of it.”
Asked about Dravid, Kohli played it safe. “All four would have been pretty amazing; he must have had some obligation or commitment. But even the three members are great.” He was speaking to reporters at a promotional event on Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}Asked about Dravid, Kohli played it safe. “All four would have been pretty amazing; he must have had some obligation or commitment. But even the three members are great.” He was speaking to reporters at a promotional event on Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}Kohli wants to create an amiable dressing room and let his teammates bond and play without fear. However, he doesn’t want to push them on fitness. “Each person has his own limit, but the desire should come from inside.”