Robin Singh questions Shastri's credentials as coach

New Delhi, July 29: Former all-rounder Robin Singh has taken a dig at Ravi Shastri, saying Team India has lost two successive semi-finals under the current head coach and thereby a change needs to be made in the coaching set-up.

"Under the current coach, India has lost in the semi-finals of two successive ODI World Cups, and in the last four stage of the World Twenty20 championship as well," Singh told The Hindu.

"Now is the time to prepare for the 2023 World Cup and a change could be good for the side," he added.

In 2015, India had lost the World Cup semifinal to Australia while in 2019, the Men in Blue had to face a shocking defeat to New Zealand, thereby failing to get an opportunity to win their third World Cup title. 

Singh, who has applied for the post of head coach, was part of the Indian support staff, holding the role of the fielding coach between 2007 and 2009. During that period, India won a Test series in England, lift the inaugural World T20 in South Africa as well succeeding in the triangular ODI series trophy in Australia for the first time.

The BCCI has invited applications for the positions of head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, physio, strength and conditioning coach and administrative manager for the Indian team.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has already announced that the trio of Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy have been handed the responsibility of picking the head coach. They form the new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) subject to no conflict of interest.

Shastri and his team will get an automatic entry into the recruitment process. The current coaching staff were handed a 45-day extension after their tenure ended with the World Cup.