The Matter Between Kumble And Kohli Should Have Been Handled Better, Says Sourav Ganguly

The story:

Former Indian captain and member of Cricket Advisory Committee  (CAC) Sourav Ganguly, on Tuesday (June 27), said that the issue between coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli, which ultimately led to the latter stepping down as head coach, should have been handled maturely.

“The matter between Kumble and Kohli should have been handled a lot better, by whoever in charge. It was not handled properly,” he said.

The background:

The buildup to the just-concluded Champions Trophy was marred by reports of a rift between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble. However, Kohli had quashed those rumours during his pre-match press conference before the tournament-opener.

But two days after India’s campaign ended with a defeat against Pakistan in the final, Kumble dropped the bombshell by stepping down as the coach and also revealing the reason behind his sudden decision. In a statement posted on Twitter, the former India skipper made it crystal-clear that he chose to walk away after being informed of Kohli’s reservation over his style of functioning. Kumble had also said that his partnership with Kohli was ‘untenable’.

The whole episode ended on a disappointing note as Kumble’s highly successful tenure came to a sad end but Ganguly feels the scenario could have been avoided by proper handling.

‘Anyone can apply’

Meanwhile, former team director Ravi Shastri has also applied for the post of head coach. Shastri was involved in a public spat with Ganguly after the CAC selected Kumble ahead of him last year despite his impressive record with the team. However, Ganguly is unperturbed by Shastri’s application and said that anyone can apply.

“Everybody has got the right to apply. We will find out. I can also apply provided I’m not an administrator,” Ganguly said.

The new coach, meanwhile, will be selected in a similar process that the CAC comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, appointing Kumble.  After the board receives the applications, it will forward the final shortlist to the three-member committee which will conduct interviews and seek presentations before sending their final choice to the BCCI. The whole process will be supervised by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.