Anurag Thakur : Captain is more important than the coach

Anil Kumble resigned from the post of the Indian coach and termed his 'untenable' relationship with Indian skipper Virat Kohli as the reason for the same in his letter to the BCCI. Since then, the Delhi batsman has drawn flak from former Indian and international cricketers for maintaining his hostile stance against the former leg-spinner and the recent addition to the list was the CoA chairman Vinod Rai, who clarified that Kohli will have no say in the appointment of the new coach. 

However, Anurag Thakur backed up Kohli terming the captain more important than the coach and cited the example of the spat between Sourav ganguly and Greg Chapell that led to the latter's exit from the team. 

"It has always been the case that the captain is more important than the coach. The captain's opinion is given importance even in selection matters because ultimately it is him who has to make the team perform," Thakur told IANS.

"Why is extra pressure being created on Virat? It is not right to target Virat over these issues because this is not the first time such a thing has happened. Greg Chappell was also removed earlier.

"Right now, there is no better batsman than Virat in Indian cricket. If we have to maintain the current standards of the Indian team over the next 10 years, and even improve our performance levels, then we have to depend on Virat," he added.

Thakur, who was the former President of the BCCI and was forced to step down after the Supremer Court ruled to implement Lodha Committee's reforms, suggested that the newly structured governance has failed to handle the situation.

"As long as I was at the head of the BCCI, there were no controversies of this nature. We had conducted all our appointments in a transparent manner. The people running the BCCI at present should be asked why these things come into the public domain," Thakur said.

Thakur further asserted his claim stating Kohli is the boss of the team and deserves every right to be.

"My opinion is totally clear in this matter. Kohli should be the boss of the team. He must be the boss, he is the boss. He is the captain of the team and that is why he should be the boss," he asserted.

In relevance to the coach, Thakur stated, "The coach has his own importance. But it is the captain who leads the 11 players on the field, that is why his words and his needs should be given more importance."