Harbhajan Singh, the former India spinner, thinks the BCCI should consider having separate coaches for Test and limited overs cricket. Right now, Gautam Gambhir is the head coach for all formats, taking over from Rahul Dravid last year.
Harbhajan believes that having different coaches would allow them to get ready for assignments in a better way. He also said that a single coach might get tired, both mentally and physically, from constant travel with the team.
A coach needs time to get ready for a series, like five Tests against Australia, then in England, and other places. This way, the coach can prepare and decide what the team should be. The same goes for a white-ball coach. They also need time to prepare. If one coach is overworked all year, they have a family and responsibilities too. It’s not easy traveling all the time with family. So, if you ask me, splitting red-ball and white-ball coaching is a good idea, Harbhajan told India Today.
Harbhajan also pointed out that if India can have different teams for different formats, they should think about having a coach for Test cricket and another for limited-overs.
I think it’s worth trying. We have different teams and players for different formats. If we can do it, it’s a good option. It would lighten the load for everyone, including the coaches. So, if it’s possible, it’s not a bad idea. The coach knows the focus is on T20 cricket, he added.
Harbhajan mentioned that someone like Ashish Nehra could be a good choice to coach the T20I team.
For example, if Ashish Nehra is the T20 coach, he knows his job is to make the Indian team T20 champions. And Rahul Dravid knows he needs to work on making the Indian team No. 1 in Tests and ODIs, Harbhajan said.