The article is okay and good.The author is clever enough to point out that coaching is not all about how much cricket you actually played. If we look down to recent past,the big names that will pop up in our mind are that of John Buchanan, Bob Woolmer, Dave Whatmore( he was the reason for reneissance in Srilankan cricket in mid and let 90s). The guys are not known for their cricketing abilities in their playing days.Some of them even did not played the game at the highest level.Yet they have a good enough brain to prepare world champion teams. Ashok Malhotra is the best person in my opinion to get the job.He is a nice person as a human being,and he is willing to learn, do not look for his own vested interest and he can adjust to the players and he respects the players.Other people like Patil, Kapil, Vengsarkar, and other big names, they always want the players to know that they themselves are bigger and mightier than them,which is really bad. You are here to coach the team,here to serve the country,not to remind people that you were a great player in your playing days.
Malhotra will be an excellent addition to the teams thinktank and the right person to be John Wrights deputy.
Sorry to point it out but India-A didnot make the semifinals of caribbeer tournament but finished a creditable fifth. Please try avoiding such amateurish mistakes.
I am not able to say if promoting Ashok Malhotra who has a very ordinary cricketing international career ,is a prudent move by the Board.Accepted that Buchanan ,the Australian coach ,who guided the Aussie team to two world cup wins does not have a very respectable first class career average too!! but how could Board think that the same would be applicable to Mr.Malhotra. In my opinion ,it is a frought with risk,moreso because it is absolutely necessary to maintain the indian team's current form.Any slip of form because of bad coaching could prove costly,especially considering the difficult tour ahead- India's tour of Australia this december. this is certainly not the time to experiment so drastically at least with coaches,moreso considering the likes of Sandeep Patil ,who ,i feel , even should be given a chance only on a temporary basis.
