BCCI appoints Ravi Shastri as Team India’s head coach, Zaheer Khan as bowling coach

Ravi Shastri's name has finally been announced as team India's new coach and surprisingly, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan becomes the new bowling coach

By: Ankit Banerjee |
July 11, 2017 11:56 pm

Former Indian team director Ravi Shastri has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team. According to earlier reports, Ravi Shastri was appointed as the Head Coach but BCCI held on to the decision by doing a press conference. Surprisingly, former Indian bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan has been appointed as the bowling coach of the Indian team. Rahul Dravid too comes into the fold as he will be the batting consultant of India for specific overseas tours.

Following Anil Kumble’s resignation the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) members, which includes Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, invited application for the post. They later extended the date of applying for the post till July 9. Besides Ravi Shastri, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus, Tom Moody and Phil Simmons, who failed to appear for an interview, applied for the top post.

The CAC members conducted the interview on July 10 at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai on July 11.

Most of us know Ravi Shastri as a broadcaster for Star Sports, though he is in the race of getting appointed as India’s Head Coach alongside Virender Sehwag.

Here is a list of achievements of Ravi Shastri to help you know India’s new coach better:

Ravi Shastri was born in Mumbai, then Bombay and is all of 55 years.

He has featured in 80 Tests and 150 One Day Internationals (ODI). He has scored 3830 and 3108 runs respectively.

In the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985, he won the man of the series for which he was awarded an Audi car, which was a big thing back then.

He also equalled Gary Sobers’ world record of six sixes in an over in a Ranji Trophy game in January 1985. Well, Yuvraj Singh has now done it in international cricket.

Ravi Shastri appointed next coach of Team India, Zaheer Khan to be bowling coach: CK Khanna (Acting President, BCCI) pic.twitter.com/iqpsKsqaJB

— ANI (@ANI_news) July 11, 2017

He also led India to victory in the one Test he captained – against West Indies at Madras in 1987-88.

Of batsman who have played ten Test innings against Australia, only Eddie Paynter averages more than Shastri’s 77.75. That is a great stat considering he started out as a lower order batsman.

Ravi Shastri has also represented an English county, Glamorgan.