Ever since Anil Kumble has stepped down as coach of the Indian cricket team, former cricketers, experts have reacted to this development with surprise and sadness and it would be fair to say that, Anil Kumble stepping down or his ouster from the top job has taken Indian cricket by storm.
Even as the Cricket Advisory Committee had extended Kumble”s tenure for a year, Kumble surprised everybody by stepping down as coach just when it looked like he would be flying with the Indian team to West Indies.
Even as rumour mills are abuzz over who will be India”s next coach, one of the candidates who sent a two line CV to the BCCI for the top job, Virender Sehwag was of the opinion that Kumble’s successor will have a tough job filling his boots. Sehwag said, “I never played under him as a coach but he supported me as a senior player in my playing days. He was my senior, my captain and helped me come. I don’t know him as a coach but his performances in last one year as a coach, it will be a difficult job for his successor to replicate his success. It will be difficult for anyone to fit into his boots,”
Sehwag who was one of the applicants who has applied for the head coach’s job also stated that he was no one to comment on Kumble”s coaching style since he had not played under him as a coach, however, Sehwag did add that Kumble”s record as captain and coach speak for itself. “I cannot comment on his coaching style but as a player or captain, no one else can perform better than him,” he added. Meanwhile, teams India is all set to play West Indies in a five-match ODI series and a lone T20 international starting June 23.
