Shastri Team India head coach, Zaheer new bowling coach

New Delhi : After several twists and turns, former Team Director Ravi Shastri was today finally named the head coach of the Indian cricket team, pipping his nearest rival, Virender Sehwag, to the post. Shastri’s appointment also brought to an end a period of uncertainty which had gripped Indian cricket following the unceremonious exit of his predecessor Anil Kumble.
Shastri has been offered an experienced team to fall back on. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, brought an element of surprise to the selection by naming former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan as the bowling consultant and former captain Rahul Dravid as the batting consultant for overseas Test series.
Shastri and Khan have been offered contracts until the 2019 50-overs World Cup in England. Their first assignment together would be the Test series in Sri Lanka, which begins on July 26.
While Shastri was considered a frontrunner for the top job, it was good to see Khan and Dravid in the mix, whose selection has caught many in the Indian cricketing circles by surprise. Khan doesn’t boast of a formal coaching experience, though he has mentored younger bowlers in his team in all formats of the sport. Dravid’s expertise as batting consultant would be of immense help to the young members of the team as India are set to play several Test series overseas over the next two years. Dravid recently stepped down from his position as the mentor of the Delhi Daredevils team, opting for a two-year contract to coach the India A and Under-19 teams.