I dont think they can afford me, says Shane Warne about coaching India

What’s the Story?

India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2017 campaign is well underway with a win against arch-rivals Pakistan in their first encounter of the tournament in Birmingham. Amidst all the action on the field, there has been a lot going on off the field as well with regards to choosing the next coach of the Indian cricket team.

Amongst all the prominent names that applied for the job, former Australian cricketer Shane Warne was not one of them. He made a surprising statement and said that he was too expensive and charged a lot for the job.

“I am very expensive, I don't think they can afford me. Virat Kohli and me can have a good partnership. But as I said, I am very, very expensive," he was quoted as saying to Mid-Day.

In case you didn’t know...

Anil Kumble, who is the current coach of the Indian side, had an extremely successful season with the team after taking over last year. India regained their number 1 rank in the Test rankings and lost only Test out of the 13 they played at home against England, New Zealand, and Australia.

However, despite the differences between Kumble and team management with regards to the pay dispute and the reported rift between Virat Kohli and Kumble, BCCI decided to hunt for a new coach.

The decision came under scrutiny by a lot of former cricketers who felt that Kumble should continue as coach.

The Details:

Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and Tom Moody were among the six applicants for the role of India coach. Former India coach Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Doddanarasiah “Dodda” Ganesh were the other candidates to put their names forward for the role.

Shane Warne does not have a lot of experience coaching. He was the coach of the Rajasthan Royals while playing for the side in 2008 and led them to victory in the inaugural season. He continued to coach and mentor the cricketers of the side until he retired in 2010.

What’s next?

Warne is currently in England as a part of the commentary panel of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Author’s Take:

Warne might have been a great contender to take over as the coach of the Indian cricket team. However, after his statement, it seems unlikely that he would ever take up the role in the future as well. The applicants who have applied are top-notch and would do a great job as the coach of the side while Kumble himself might just continue as the coach.