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‘Arun knows these boys better than I do’ – Shastri
After the protracted saga preceding his own appointment as the new India coach, Ravi Shastri is eager for the focus to shift to his players and their cricket. Speaking ahead of India’s departure for Sri Lanka on Wednesday, Shastri provided a peek into the kind of coach he might be, placing the credit for a team’s success squarely on its players, and saying that coaches like him and Anil Kumble will “come and go”.
“I have matured immensely in the last two weeks [during the coach-appointment process,” Shastri said. “Mine will be a refresh button that will be pushed. I carry on from where I left. I don’t come with any baggage.
“The team has done exceedingly well over three years and they are the people who deserve the credit more than anybody else. These Ravi Shastris, Anil Kumbles will come and go. The fabric of Indian cricket will remain and the credit should go to everyone who has participated in this Indian team over the last three years. If they are No. 1 today, it is their efforts they have put in over that three-year period and they deserve the credit. People like us will come and go”.
More to follow…
Arun Venugopal is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. @scarletrun
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo