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Mike Hesson happy with selection process for Indian head coach despite missing out; wishes Shastri luck
The New Zealander also wished Ravi Shastri, who was eventually chosen, and hoped that Indian cricket could scale great heights under his tenure.
Mike Hesson, who lost the race for the job of the India head coach, stated that he was happy with the selection process and has no hard feelings. The New Zealander also wished Ravi Shastri, who was eventually chosen, and hoped that Indian cricket could scale great heights under his tenure.
The Cricket Advisory Committee, led by Kapil Dev, got together to pick India's next head coach on August 16, with Hesson, Shastri, Robin Singh, Tom Moody and Lalchand Rajput being the final five candidates. Shastri pipped the others to continue as Team India's coach, and reports later suggested that Hesson missed out only due to his lack of experience as a player.
Hesson did not play international cricket, but has plenty of experience as a coach. He coached the Kenya cricket team, and then took over as the head coach of New Zealand in what was a successful stint. Under him, the Black Caps reached the finals of the 2015 World Cup. He was also associated with Kings XI Punjab. After missing the India job, RCB have now named him as the Director of Cricket Operations of the franchise.
“I went through the process and I am happy with the process. I wish Ravi and the team the best of luck,” said Hesson.
“As a coach, you’re always going to be judged only as a coach. Within any coaching group, though, you need plenty of playing experience. That said, I think it’s more about the combination of coaches. I am sure team India has put together a good crew.”
Speaking about his upcoming IPL challenge, Hesson added, "The first month or two is just about getting to know the people, what works and what doesn’t. It’s one thing to get news from afar, another thing entirely to immerse yourself in the team. In that sense, we’ll have a wait a while and see how things play out,” he explained.
“Talent in India is never an issue. In all areas of the game, India has a huge talent pool. It’s really about maximising talent, that’s what our job is as coaches. That will be my role as director of operations. If we get the right people in place, things will naturally fall into place. It’s about creating an environment where players can go and express themselves.”
