Ever since the day one of Ravi Shastri being selected as TeamIndia’s head coach, hysterical opinions had come out. Though many supported the deed, there are a few people who partly opposed it. The outrage was at its peaks on Twitter for the following day too.

Following the appreciative comments from able players like Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav, many congratulated the same. However, having a three years experience as BCCI director is something that took Shastri to the whole new level.

Former Australian hitman Matthew Hayden joined the row saying that Ravi Shastri would make a fantastic coach for the Indian team. He then answered many questions regarding his experience with the current team, Ravi Shastri, and the present day Cricket fraternity.

This interview took place yesterday when Hayden was in Chennai for the promotion of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. The following answers were given by the former player regarding the appointment of Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli.

There has been a lot of debate in Indian cricket about Ravi Shastri’s appointment as coach. What is your take on it?

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. Shastri will also be backed up by the team and I am sure he will be a great replacement for Anil Kumble.

Do you think a coach should be allowed to choose his entire support staff, as has been the case with Shastri?

The answer is not simple because the coach is also an appointed role. That’s why I am not sure if a coach should have complete autonomy about choosing his entire support-staff – there should be a panel of individuals which includes the captain – who makes the decision. The reality is no one is going to 100 per cent agree. But yes, the coach should have a major say but I cannot put a percentage on how much.

He then added: I know when Darren Lehmann came in as the Australian coach, he was very much like that about appointments, but gradually I have seen that has eroded.

There have been a few questions asked in the recent past about the way Virat Kohli has handled things as captain. What’s your take on him?

Is it? 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 makes him the man to bank on.