Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes the senior men’s national team should hire a local coach rather than seeking an overseas one. His statement comes as the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is currently contacting potential candidates for the head coach role.
Rahul Dravid’s contract as head coach of the men’s team ends after the T20 World Cup in June. The BCCI has invited applications for the job, with a deadline of May 27. Dravid is unlikely to re-apply, so India has considered some overseas candidates, including Stephen Fleming, Tom Moody, Ricky Ponting, and Justin Langer.
According to a quote from PTI, Parthiv Patel said, “There are a lot of coaches from NCA that have joined the Indian team, I don’t see the need for overseas coaches.”
“India has so many capable coaches. Every other year our U-19 team wins the World Cup, India A team does well on overseas tours. They are coached by Indians so why do we need outside coaches? Chandrakant Pandit is a huge example,” he added.
The last time India had an overseas coach was during the 2015 World Cup with Duncan Fletcher. India’s experience with Greg Chappell was disappointing, but Gary Kirsten changed the perception of foreign coaches by helping India win the 2011 World Cup which they lifted after 28 years under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.