Open to coaching India: Sourav Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly Thursday expressed his willingness to coach the national cricket team if the board feels he is the best candidate for the job.

“Obviously, I have interest in coaching but only time will tell what can happen in future. If the BCCI feels that I can be a good coach, I will be ready. I feel I can create a difference in terms of the ability of the players, their form and their development. That will be one way of my repaying the game,” Ganguly said.

Ganguly, who had his run-ins with coaches during his successful stint as India captain and while leading Kolkata Knight Riders, said captain is always the main man and coach is a back-up support.

“I have always maintained that the captain is the most important link in the team and he has to take certain on-field decisions. When I was captain for 5-6 years, there were many occasions when I had to reverse whatever we had decided in the team meetings according to situations. The coach is just there to help the captain,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by Headlines Today.

Ganguly said coach can only support the captain through “man management skills”.

“Whosoever it can be; a Ganguly or a Rahul Dravid, maybe a Sachin Tendulkar and a Duncan Fletcher, the coach will have to support the captain through his man management skills,” he said.

Ganguly feels current coach Duncan Fletcher should be given an extension till 2015.

“The World Cup is three years away and if the team does well in this season, obviously Duncan will be given an extended contract till the World Cup. I think we need to back Duncan as he needs good results. He has a young side under him and he would need to work hard for the team to win outside of the sub continent.

“Before him, Gary Kirsten had a very important stint and the team played very well under him so I would really want Duncan to do well.”

Ganguly, however, feels that it is time for an Indian to take up the coaching job of Team India.

“When John Wright came in, the situation was different and the need was to have a foreign coach who could expose the players to modern fitness and training methods. Different captains and different coaches brought in that culture within the team, where the players believed they could do well abroad.”

“But the Indian cricket is well aware of the modern techniques now. Don’t forget, we won the World T20 in 2007 and the CB Series in 2008 under Lalchand Rajput and on the victorious 2007 tour of England, Chandu Borde was the coach so it is about the ability to understand the players better that matters now.”

On reports that he has been approached by the board as a replacement for chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Ganguly said:”Honestly, I should not be talking about it (the offer). Remember, I just retired from the game a few years ago plus one has to stay away from home as a selector needs to watch even domestic players.

“Right now, this seems a bit difficult for me. All I can say is that this is a very important phase in Indian cricket as at least four selectors will change.

Ganguly said Mohinder Amarnath could be the perfect replacement for Srikkanth.

“I am sure the BCCI would get the right people in as it will be important to get selectors with experience as they can relate to young players and groom them properly. I am hoping for Mohinder Amarnath to become chief selector as he is just a year into his term,” he concluded.