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Cricket Advisory Committee member Jatin Paranjape, who was one of the four to interview Gautam Gambhir for the Team India coaching position, revealed why GG was the best candidate who eventually bagged the high-profile job on Tuesday.
Gambhir will replace Rahul Dravid as the head coach in all three formats from July 27 on the tour of Sri Lanka. This will be Gambhir's first stint as a coach after mentoring two IPL teams in Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
What Gambhir said in his interview
Talking about Gambhir's interview with the CAC last month, Paranjape said that it was the former India opener's vision and patriotism that impressed them the most and made them pick him as worthy successor to Dravid.
"He was very clear about the role of domestic cricket as a yardstick for selection. He mentioned it many times that we need to look at domestic cricket because we have got such a wide palet thanks to the BCCI.
"There is so much talent where, he mentioned that he will be working with the selection committee very closely but will also work with the NCA and VVS Laxman very closely. That is also a very important relationship which needs to be in good shape. Because you will pick from a pool in domestic cricket and then they will play for India A and India. The NCA is like a finishing tool for the potential players and also a rehab centre for the big stars who might have picked up an injury. It's the NCA which becomes literally like the control room of Indian cricket. So that relationship between Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman is an extremely important one.
"I suspect that the process internally within the team would be to prioritise their goals across formats. In terms of the interview process, these were the areas from human capital allocation to prioritising your biggest goals was something he spoke about at length," Paranjape told The Free Press Journal.
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'Exciting times' ahead for Indian cricket
Paranjape has known Gambhir for a long time now and was happy to see his old friend during the interview process.
"The country is set for a springboard into becoming a dominant player in world cricket and hence, the coach's role becomes extremely important. Personally, I was very happy when Gautam applied for the job. He has the credentials which very few others have. He's been a hugely experienced player. I feel there are hugely exciting times in store for Team India and for all of us, the fans of this great game."
