'Ravi Shastris, Anil Kumbles will come and go': Chief coach sends out clear message as second stint begins

New Delhi: Ravi Shastri, the newly appointed skipper of the Indian cricket team, has started off his second stint with Indian team with a bang. In the two press conferences he has attended since being appointed as the head coach, the Mumbai veteran has dealt with the bouncers bowled at him in a very confident manner.

While the reporters were keen to know his opinion about how his coaching style would be different from his predecessor Anil Kumble, the 55-year-old handled the tricky question really well by shifting the focus towards the success of the Indian team in the last three years.

Addressing his first press conference along with skipper Virat Kohli, Shastri said, "I carry on from where I left. The fabric of Indian cricket will remain, these Ravi Shastris and Anil Kumbles will come and go. I don't come with any baggage. The team has done exceedingly well over three years. If they are No.1 today, they (the players) are the people who deserve the credit."

"As a player, when you play the game, you want the mind to be very clear. You don't want any distraction and that happens with a good support staff. My job is to do just that. I want the players to only think about their roles."

While many raised questions over the selection of Bharat Arun as the bowling coach, Shastri threw his weight behind him saying he had huge experience related to coaching.

"There is a track record -- 15 years he has been coaching. (His coaching career) It's outstanding right from the junior teams, the 'A' teams to the junior World Cup teams. He knows these boys better than I do," he said.

The former all-rounder, who was snubbed for the top job by the cricket advisory committee last year, also made it clear that he wasn't carrying any baggage from the past.

India's next assignment is a Test series against Sri Lanka, with the first Test scheduled to begin from July 26.

(With IANS inputs)