New Delhi: Hours after he said that the name of the new coach for the Indian cricket team will be announced by today evening, Cricket Advisory on Committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly said that the panel had decided to hold up the name of the new coach.
Speaking at a press conference, "We have decided to hold on to the announcement. We need a few more days, talk to people, talk to the captain."
Ganguly, who along with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman interviewed five candidates for the high-profile job, said that the panel wanted to talk to Virat Kohli before coming to the final decision.
The CAC interviewed five candidates for the post of head coach except South African Phil Simmons, who was not available, and at the end of the day announced that they needed more time to come to a final decision. Tendulkar joined in from London through video conference.
Ganguly made it clear that they are looking at the bigger picture for the next two years and will take a decision in the best interest of Indian cricket.
"The process is done. All presentations were outstanding. We just want to talk more with people who matter. We all have to be on the same page. Whoever comes will be in charge till the 2019 World Cup. And we want to make sure there is no differences of opinion six months down the line."
Asked about the inputs taken from Kohli in the meetings during the ICC Champions Trophy, Ganguly said, "That was on a different aspect. As I said, he has stayed out of the whole thing.
"We want to make sure we take the best possible decision for Indian cricket. The coach, captain and players are the ones who will take Indian cricket forward. The CAC goes out of the picture once the coach is selected."
Ganguly hinted that the coach will be picked before the Sri Lanka tour that begins with the first Test on July 26.
Kumble resigned from the head coach's post just after the ICC mega event final against Pakistan last month due to "untenable" differences with Kohli.
