India’s newly appointed head coach Anil Kumble has called a unique meeting on Sunday with Indian A and Indian -19 coach – Rahul Dravid, National Cricket Academy (NCA) coaches, Test captain Virat Kohli, Indian limited over captain MS Dhoni in Bangalore where the Indian Test squad preparing for the West Indies tour.
Kumble wants a joint discussion with all stakeholders and wants to make sure that all of them will be part of the system. Any player who is preparing well will be under the radar of selectors. So Kumble also called the senior and junior teams selectors too.
The meeting is the first of its kind. The new coach wants to keep the bench strength strong for the long term goals of Indian cricket. He also wants everything to run smoothly so that it will be useful in crunch situations.
It was learnt that all the stakeholders will be asked to suggest how to enhance the feeder system and keep the main team strong. Kumble’s first meeting made it clear that he doesn’t compromise with a dearth of talented players. Injuries and off form may let him find a new talent from the feeder system to join his team.
“Kumble wants things to run in a smoother fashion especially at the India A and U-19 level. He also wants for the coaching at the NCA to be more streamlined. It will be a meeting that’s first of its kind and it’s imperative that all the stakeholders present their views,” a top BCCI official said.
The National Cricket Academy has become the centre of Indian cricket’s development but failed to fit the bill for the Indian team. So Kumble wants the center to add more value to the teams’ progress both now and in the future.
“Kumble is sure that if the Indian team has to move forward then all stakeholders will have to work together. He can’t change things on his own. The Indian team has played good cricket at home but he wants to get different views on what is needed for them to do well overseas, like probably having more exposure trips for our bench strength,” the source added.
The former Indian captain also made it clear that he wants to keep communications with all stakeholders so any time a young player can don the India jersey. “As a coach, I would like to pick the phone and say listen, you are still part of the team. That is what I will look to do. Hopefully, I will succeed in at least telling players who are dropped that they are still part of the system,” he had said.
The legendary spinner also said he would like to know about the progress of players who are dropped from the team but they are not directly under the head coach but in future, in any formats of the game, India may need him so the player should be mentored well. “He wants to make sure that every player in the system is being monitored at all times. Say a fast bowler is injured or he’s more of a Test specialist and is on the sidelines when the team’s playing an ODI series, Kumble wants routine reports on what they are up to as well,” the source added.