Attempt Was Made to Ensure I Don't Get Coach's Job in 2017: Ravi Shastri

After Ravi Shastri, the Indian men's team is being coached by Rahul Dravid.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri.

Image: BCCI

The former India head coach Ravi Shastri’s stint with the men’s team did not see any ICC titles however, the side did well across formats, especially overseas. One of the highlights of his tenure which began in 2017 were the consecutive Test series wins in Australia, the second of which saw the team dig deep into their resources and survive a few body blows on the way.

Shastri had been with the Indian team since 2014, when he joined as ‘Team Director’ while the then head coach Duncan Fletcher retained the post of head coach.

After that short eight month stint, Shastri was considered to be among the frontrunners to become coach of the men’s team, however, the BCCI decided to hand over the job to another stalwart in Anil Kumble. A development that left Shastri dumbfounded and shocked.

The former India cricketer believes that the administration could have handled the situation better.

"There was this bolt from the blue. In less than two years after I was asked set aside my broadcast career, leave everything else and join the team, I suddenly found myself out for no reason. I had sown the seeds and the fruits were beginning to show and out of nowhere I came to know I was being replaced. Nobody told me why," Shastri was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

After Kumble’s reported rift with Kohli, the BCCI turned back to Shastri as the former leg spinner resigned from the post.

"During my second stint, I came after a huge controversy. And it was literally egg on the faces of those who wanted me away. They opted for someone and nine months later, they came back to the very guy they threw out. And I'm not pointing any fingers at people (BCCI) in general. Specific people. I must say an attempt was made to ensure I don't get the job. But such is life,” he added.

Shastri then elaborated on how much that decision by the BCCI had hurt him. "Yes, more than anything, it hurt because of the manner in which it was done. For all that I had contributed, just on one word from the BCCI, there were better ways to let me know: 'Oh look we don't want you, we don't like you. We want somebody else' — if that was the case. Anyway, I went back to do what I do best — which is television.

“Around nine months passed, and I didn't even have a clue that there was anything wrong inside the team. I mean, what could've been wrong? I was told there was a real problem and I said — how can there be a problem in nine months? The team that I had left was in such a good space. How the hell in nine months could something go that drastically wrong?,” the 59-year-old questioned.

Shastri had initially been roped in till the 2019 ODI World Cup where India lost against New Zealand in the semi-final. Soon after the contract was extended with the ace cricketer and former commentator staying on till the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, where India were knocked out in the first round after starting off with two defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand.