Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara Sunday said it is a “shame” that no Indian was found competent to coach the World champions.

Sangakkara was surprised that despite so many exceptional Indian cricketers around, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) found no one competent for the job.

“Having produced some many good cricketers in the region…it is a shame that no suitable candidate was found competent to take over the national side,” he said.

Sangakkara said it important for the boards to make the full use of the home grown coaches.

“It is important that home grown coaching ability and talent is exploited to the fullest like home grown playing talent and ability.

“In Sri Lanka we lost a great opportunity in Chandika Hathurusingha, who was capable enough to take over the national side. Unfortunately, we lost him to Australia,” Sangakkara was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Hathurusingha, a one-time shadow coach of the Sri Lanka team, was suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on disciplinary grounds in June before he decided to migrate to Australia. During his three-year tenure, Hathurusingha played a crucial role in the shaping the players’ mental make-up which made them successful at international level.

Sangakkara admitted getting a good coach is a tough task for all the boards.

“Finding a No.1 coach is the most difficult hurdle that any board would face. Those are difficult choices and from a Sri Lankan perspective every body would like to have a Sri Lankan as the coach of the national team,” he said.

“From this part of the world having a local coach means the person comes in with a lot of baggage with past experiences that might colour his views on coaching and players in the particular side that he takes over. So sometimes having a foreign coach is convenient from these points of view.”