CoA Blasts Head Coach Ravi Shastri For Over The Top Statements in Media, Says Your Job is to Set Agenda And Discuss Australia Tour Policies

In the recent past, Team India's head coach and captain have capped a lot of criticism for their comments and behaviour during press conferences and interviews.

Vinod Rai-led Committee of Administrators (CoA) has blasted head coach – Ravi Shastri for his overambitious comments about comments about Team India’s performance on the overseas tours. At a recent meeting in Hyderabad, CoA has asked the India coach to concentrate on his job and let the fans decide on whether this current Indian team is the best travelling side in the world or not!

After India’s disastrous tour to England where Virat Kohli’s men suffered a shameful 1-4 loss in the five-match Test series, Shastri had capped a lot of criticism from fans and critics alike for labelling the Indian team “Best travelling side in the last 15 years”

Taking note of what the former India all-rounder had said on the tour, the COA gave its own reply on the comments when they met with Shastri, captain Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma. “Ravi initially started off by saying that the Indian media always criticises its own players and how this is one of the best ever teams in the last 15 years,” an official present in the meeting told PTI.

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“When Ravi went on about how great this current team is, one of the COA members just cut him short.

“The COA member told him, ‘Let’s stick to the agenda of the meeting and discuss Australia tour policies. You don’t decide if the team is the best travelling side in the world. Let people be the judge’,” the official said.

Shastri’s comment had also gotten Kohli into trouble when he was asked a question on the same lines by a journalist at a press conference in England.

At the post-match presser following the 5th Test, Kohli, when questioned about Shastri’s comment in England, asked for the journalist’s view on it. When the scribe said he wasn’t quite convinced about the coach’s assertion, Kohli snapped back, “That’s your opinion, thank you.”

The coach and captain have faced a lot of criticism in the recent past for their comments and behaviour in press conferences and interviews.

During the meeting in Hyderabad, Shastri and Kohli were told that the Indian team is being provided each and every facility that it has sought and its performances on the field should match that input.

“One of the senior members attending the meeting told the Kohli-Shastri duo that there is nothing wrong if BCCI wants them to perform well overseas.

“The official told them, ‘You have been given everything — from hefty central contracts to practice facilities, support staff, whatever you guys have wanted, so it’s only fair that your performances are put in perspective’.”

The meeting was attended by COA chief Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji, CEO Rahul Johri, IPL COO Hemang Amin, GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim along with Kohli, Shastri, Rohit, Rahane and chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.

Kohli also courted controversy on Wednesday when he asked fans who didn’t like Indian players to leave the country in a promotional video. The BCCI brass, it is learnt, is not happy with the statement but are undecided whether to haul up Kohli for the comment while interacting with fans on his newly-launched app.

“It was a very stupid comment to make. He should have been more careful. He must understand that the kind of money he is earning is because Indian fans have invested in this game.

“But again the comment was made on his private forum or business initiative. He hasn’t used a BCCI platform so that’s also an issue,” the senior official said.

(With PTI inputs)