Chennai, Jully 19: Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden feels India's new head coach Ravi Shastri will make a fantastic coach.
, now focus on cricket" />End of Find the Coach drama, now focus on cricket
Hayden, who is in India to promote Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), in an interview to Times of India stressed Shastri is a great communicator which is very important for a coach's role.
"I don't know the inner workings of Indian cricket but what I can tell you is that Ravi Shastri will make a fantastic coach after being a great director of cricket. He is an astute judge of the game and has always been a cricketer at his core. I have done commentary with him and I know that he is a strong communicator, which is critical for the coach's role."
"He can be the go-to man in different situations and he understands that when there is a crisis, it has to be addressed. He will also be backed up by the team and I am sure Ravi will be a great replacement for Anil Kumble," said the legendary Australian batsman.
Hayden has had a long association with India due to his stint as a player in IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and later picked up commentator's job after retirement.
When asked about the way India skipper Virat Kohli has handled Team India as a captain, the left-handed batsman said Kohli is the man for the future.
"For me, there's no debate that he is the man for the future. I have always been a fan of his forthright nature - he embodies the spirit of the new wave of players who have come up in this country. On big days, I know Kohli is the man who would stand up - his performances, his leadership ability, his understanding of the game - everything make him the man to bank on," he added.
Citing the example of Adam Gilchrist's sudden retirement, on being asked about future of former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hayden said the former will quit if he believes it's time for him to go.
"The life of a cricketer is like a glass full of water and coins are being dropped into it. Then comes a moment when the water spills at the drop of one more coin - Gilchrist's was like that. If MS feels that moment has come, I think he will go. I still see him as a player who can change games and he is not the one who will hang around when he believes it's done," said Hayden.
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