Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has given a piece of important advice to the current head coach, Rahul Dravid, the new management.
Indian cricket moves into a new era with Rahul Dravid as the coach, and Rohit Sharma as the white-ball captain, while the Test captain is yet to be announced – taking over from the blockbuster duo of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, both of whom enjoyed tremendous highs over the past four years, especially in Test cricket. However, that came to a rather disappointing end with India’s group exit at the T20 World Cup.
After wins over New Zealand at home, Rahul Dravid as a coach of the national side endured losses in the Test series and ODI series in South Africa.
With the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia less than 10 months away, Ravi Shastri suggested the new management find “the right kind of players” to build Indian cricket further.
Speaking with Shoaib Akhtar on the latter’s YouTube channel, Ravi Shastri said, “It’s a very important period for Indian cricket, there will be a period of transition in the next 8-10 months. It’s important to identify the right kind of players who will take you forward in 4-5 years.”
The former India all-rounder underlined the importance of finding a balance between youngsters and experienced players. He reckons the longer the management sticks with underperforming players, the difficult it would be to adjust the side.
Ravi Shastri added: “I always believe that there should be a mix between youth and experience. Sometimes change is needed if you aim for the future. This is the time. They need to look for youth in the next six months, need to be quick. If you stick with the same for too long a period then the adjustment will be very difficult.”
Dravid’s next assignment is against West Indies in white-ball matches followed by a Test series against Sri Lanka at home. India also host Australia for a Test series and tour England for a solitary Test and more white-ball matches in the build-up to the T20 World Cup.
