Venkatesh Prasad quashes rumours linking him to Team India coaching job
Mumbai: Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has denied rumours that he has applied for the Team India head coach post that was left vacant by his former teammate Anil Kumble.
Earlier on Thursday, various media reports suggested that the ex-paceman may have applied for the post, after Kumble stepped down following a reported rift with India captain Virat Kohli.
However, Prasad denied these rumours, stating instead, that he is more interested in taking over the role of an assistant coach or that of a bowling coach.
"I have made my intentions clear that I am very, very keen to perform the role of an assistant coach or a bowling coach," said Prasad to Firstpost.
However, the 47-year-old revealed that he is yet to write to the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising of his former teammates Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman. He said, “May be I will write, but this is what I am very keen about (the support staff job).”
Currently, former cricketers Virender Sehwag and Ravi Shastri are believed to be the frontrunners to take over the job. Prasad says that he is willing to work with either of the two, in order to lend his experienced hands to Indian cricket.
"Whether it's Virender Sehwag or Ravi Shastri or whoever it is, I am very very keen to be associated as an assistant coach or a bowling coach which I have done before. And I would like to contribute immensely with all the experience that I have got of playing and coaching,” he said.
Prasad brings with him bags full of experience, as he has not only played 33 Tests and 161 ODIs for India, but has also been a part of the Team India coaching staff during their 2007 ICC World T20 triumph.
If Prasad does get to take over as the bowling coach, a post that was vacant under Kumble’s tenure, he will have a fearsome bowling attack under his belt, one that boasts of big names like Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
The 47-year-old has worked with some of these players at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, while also working closely with Bhuvneshwar Kumar during a stint with the Uttar Pradesh Ranji cricket team.
"I was with quite a few of them (young pacers) at the National Cricket Academy when they were young. And then, I worked with Uttar Pradesh cricket for three years when Bhuvneshwar Kumar was coming up," he concluded.
