T20 World Cup 2021: "I call him the guru of that department" - Ravi Shastri hails bowling coach Bharat Arun

Team India’s outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri has praised bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar for their significant contributions in making the team a better overall unit.

Along with Shastri, Arun and Sridhar’s stints with the Indian side also came to an end following the team’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2021 on Monday.

Praising Arun, Shastri termed his work with India’s bowlers as outstanding. Speaking at a press conference, the former cricketer said:

“I call him (Arun) the guru of that department. Him and Sridhar have done an outstanding job. Bharat Arun has been in the coaching space for almost 20 years. He has coached a lot of coaches and then come to do this job. That’s the prime reason why I picked him. I happened to be the chairman at NCA for some time, when a system was put in place. That’s time Sridhar and Arun came into the fold with Dav Whatmore there.”

Shastri added that communication is Arun’s greatest skill, which is why he was able to mold the team’s bowling into a professional outfit. The 59-year-old stated:

“His biggest plus point is his ability to communicate with the bowlers. He will not change anyone’s technique for the sake of it, unless he explains to the guy why he should do it. He instilled professionalism in the unit. He let them know that this is what we expect from a bowling team not a bowling individual.”

58-year-old Arun played two Tests and four ODIs for India between 1986 and 1987.

“Sridhar one of the best fielding coaches in the world” - Ravi Shastri

Outgoing Team India fielding coach R Sridhar. Pic: BCCI

India’s fielding has improved significantly over the last few years and Shastri credited Sridhar for the same. Describing him as one of the best in his field, the outgoing head coach said:

“Sridhar, I think, is one of the best fielding coaches in the world. He is outstanding. All I had to tell him was - ‘I want this to be one of the best Indian fielding sides ever’. That was my diktat to him. In every match, I wanted to see the bar raised. There was no messing around, it had to be done. It took time but it happened, hence the results.”

A former left-arm spinner from Hyderabad, 51-year-old Sridhar featured in 35 first-class matches and claimed 91 scalps at an average of 29.09.