Former India coach John Wright has cautioned that the best of coaches would be of no help if India persisted with its policy of appointing selectors on zonal basis.
The former New Zealand captain advocated a more professional approach in team selection matters, saying that it was imperative to get the right people to do the job.
"You can have the best coaching system and your best coaches, but if you don't get your selections right you are making it very difficult for yourselves," Wright said.
He said the system of picking national selectors on zonal basis may have lived its duration and urged the Cricket Board to look into the situation.
"I feel the system of picking your national system panel may have done its course, and I would urge the BCCI to study the situation. I have a personal opinion that it should be a professional position, the way it is in a number of countries," Wright said in an interview published in the latest issue of 'Wisden Asia' magazine.
"What is the right number I am not quite sure. I think its a tough job, its a critical job, its about getting the right people in the room."
| |||||||||||
"...Its a performance role. If people think you are doing a bad job as a coach, you will have the door shut on you. If you are picking bad teams, the same will happen."
Wright was pained that he did not have a voting right when he was the coach although he attended the selection committee meetings.
Asked whether he was bothered that he did not have a vote, the affable former opening batsman said "at times yes. If you attend the meeting and give your views, it does not make sense that you sign a piece of paper but don't have a vote."
"Players think that you are at the meeting and you are part of those decisions. So if I don't have a vote, may be I would rather not go to the meeting."
On whether he thought it was the right time for a change in captaincy, he said, "the selectors have to make that decision. To me it's always been very simple. I come from a point a view that you pick your best team and then you pick the captain. Your captain has to fit into your best team, whatever that is."
At the same time, Wright said Rahul Dravid was ready to captain the side. "Certainly Rahul is ready for that role. I hope he gets the opportunity, whenever it is, because he will be very good."
"I think that's immaterial because Sourav (Ganguly) is the captain and I think he will carry on. You know he's had a rough time lately, but at the end of the day, he's delivered results."
Wright described his experience in India as both exhilarating and exhausting and said he had enjoyed every moment of it. "Its the best job I ever had. Two things stand out for me. There is the passion for cricket and there is the humility, wisdom and the humour of people... I will miss the boys, country and the people of India."
