Melbourne : Former Australian great Greg Chappell has welcomed the appointment of Anil Kumble as the head coach of the Indian cricket team and said the ‘inspired choice’ will take the side to new heights with a ‘courageous’ skipper Virat Kohli.
Kumble, who was among the shortlisted 21 candidates for the post, was named as the head coach for next one year after being interviewed by the cricket advisory committee comprising Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.
Chappell, who had endured a tumultuous period during his charge as Indian coach between 2005 and 2007, believes Kumble’s partnership with captain Virat Kohli will serve India well.
“The greatest asset that Kumble has is that he has a captain who has a robust self-belief, is courageous and who will lead by example in all areas,” Chappell was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Chappell further praised Kumble, saying that he had never blown his own trumpet and did everything possible to contribute well for his side.
The former Indian head coach, however, called on Kumble to change the Indian cricket’s reliance from diligent preparation to natural ability and flair.
“Too often in the past, Indian teams have tried to take short-cuts rather than work hard so any success has been fleeting,” he added.
Kumble’s first assignment will be India’s four-Test tour of West Indies, which starts from July 21.
In a glorious international career spanning over 18 years, Kumble played 132 Tests taking 619 wickets at an average of 29.65. He is known for his best figures of 10 for 74 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999.
Besides being India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests and third overall, Kumble had also taken 337 wickets in his 271 one-day internationals.
Kumble led India in 14 Test matches after being appointed as captain in November 2007.
Following his retirement a year later, he took up administrative roles as he was elected as president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association in November 2010.
He served as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and also headed the BCCI’s technical committee.(ANI)