Reports: Current Indian cricketers were not consulted during Anil Kumble's appointment

The dust surrounding Anil Kumble’s appointment as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon with the Times of India reporting that the leading members of the side were not consulted in the lead-up to the race for India’s new coach.

Quoting a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source, TOI also reports that Ravi Shastri’s public statement backing Virat Kohli to take over as skipper of the Indian side was the single most deciding factor that went against the former Team India manager’s candidature, when he, along with 56 others including Kumble, had applied for the post of head coach.

While the BCCI stated in its official statement confirming Kumble’s appointment as the new head coach for a period of one year starting with India’s upcoming four-Test series against the West Indies in the Carribean, that “all stake holders of the game” had been consulted before the final decision was made, the report suggests that actually it might not be the case.

Shastri, who has since come out and spoken about his disappointment at not being able to continue his 18-month association with the Indian side, was apparently the first choice for many of the current crop of players, but with the BCCI projecting Kumble as the prime candidate ever since the legendary leg-spinner filed his nomination for the post, the players’ opinion was not even sought.

"That didn't happen, which shows that the players were actually not consulted," TOI quoted the BCCI source as saying.

The report further states that Shastri, who revealed yesterday that Sourav Ganguly, one of the three members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) along with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, entrusted by the BCCI with the responsibility of selecting the new coach, was not present when his interview was being conducted, was Tendulkar’s first choice for the post.

Tendulkar had apparently asked the BCCI the reasons for not giving Shastri an extension having done a commendable job with the Indian side after assuming the role of Manager in the aftermath of a disastrous Test series against England in 2014.

While no concrete answers given to the Master Blasters query, the source said that the comments on Kohli and Shastri’s insistence on continuing with the same support staff should he be appointed were the reasons the BCCI overlooked him.

"He should not have been so expressive about his plan. He could have waited a little bit and could have spoken to the board after his appointment about his support staff," the source said.