NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has been reappointed as head coach of the men’s cricket team, a cricket board selection panel announced Friday.
Publicly backed by Indian captain Virat Kohli, 57-year-old Shastri was always the frontrunner.
He saw off competition from former Indian all-rounder Robin Singh, former team manager Lalchand Rajput, former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, Australian cricket coach Tom Moody and former West Indies coach Phil Simmons.
Simmons had backed out of the interview last minute, news agency PTI reported.
The remaining candidates were interviewed by a three-member cricket advisory committee panel which included World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, ex-national coach Anshuman Gaekwad and ex-women’s team captain Shantha Rangaswamy.
Dev announced the decision at a Friday press conference.
After missing out on the coach’s job to Anil Kumble in 2016, Shastri was selected as the team’s head coach a year later for a term extending to the end of the 2019 World Cup.
He was given a 45-day extension for the current West Indies tour.
Shastri coached India to a historic first-ever test series win in Australia earlier this year following Test losses in South Africa and England.
Since he took the job, India have won 13 Tests out of 21, 25 out of 36 T20 matches and 43 out of 60 ODIs.
Shashtri was an all-rounder best known as part of the India’s World Cup-winning squad in 1983 and his man of the series performance in India’s World Championship triumph in Australia in 1985.
He was also team director from 2014 to 2016.
Shastri played 80 Tests and 150 one-day internationals for India before becoming a successful TV commentator.
Ravi Shastri reappointed India’s cricket coach
Ravi Shastri reappointed India’s cricket coach
- Publicly backed by Indian captain Virat Kohli, 57-year-old Shastri was always the frontrunner
- Phil Simmons had backed out of the interview last minute
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son could lift a trophy for AC Milan at Super Cup
- The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia
- “They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said
MILAN: An Ibrahimovic could be lifting a trophy for AC Milan on Monday.
The talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic hasn’t come out of retirement but his 19-year-old son, Maximilian, has been called up by Milan for the Italian Super Cup.
Maximilian Ibrahimovic is one of six players from Milan’s reserve team who traveled to Saudi Arabia with the senior squad amid an ever lengthening injury list for the club.
His father scored 93 goals in 163 appearances over two spells at Milan, winning two Serie A titles and the Italian Super Cup.
The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia.
“They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Wednesday. “I wanted to reward them for what they are doing in training.”
Milan, the Italian Cup runner-up, face Serie A champion Napoli on Thursday. Italian Cup winner Bologna play Serie A runner-up Inter Milan the following day, with the final on Monday.
Out of the four teams, only Inter won at the weekend, beating Genoa to go top of Serie A after Milan and Napoli both dropped points.
Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo — the third promoted team they have failed to beat this season, after a shock defeat at home to Cremonese on the opening day and a draw against Pisa.
“We should be angry but not demoralized,” Allegri said.
Milan managed to end the round in second place, a point below Inter and a one above Napoli, which lost at Udinese. Bologna lost at home to Juventus.
Despite their struggles against the promoted clubs, Milan have managed to beat the other teams in the top four this season, including Napoli.
“Tomorrow is a different match, it’s a knockout game where the aim is to get to the final,” Allegri said. “Napoli are a very strong team and they will be angry after the loss to Udinese.
“When there are difficult moments, (Napoli coach) Antonio Conte always manages to get the best out of his teams.”
Milan won the Italian Super Cup for the eighth time last season, beating Inter in the final to end a run of three straight titles for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli have won the competition twice — in 1990 and 2014. Bologna, which ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy with the Italian Cup, have never lifted the Super Cup.
