Indian team fine irrespective of coach: Ex-Aussie bowler Jeff Thomson wades into head coach debate

Bengaluru:  Legendary Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson feels it does not matter whether a foreigner or an Indian is made head coach as the national team will continue to be a strong side in the international arena. “I don’t want to get into the politics of the appointment of an India coach, whether it should be foreigner or India-origin because I have nothing to do with the Indian side. However, India will be a fine team irrespective of who is picked as the coach,” he told reporters at the second season of KSCA-IDBI Federal Life Insurance Bowling Foundation in Bengaluru. [caption id=“attachment_2824600” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Jeff Thomson talks about the Indian head coach situation. AFP[/caption] Thomson said there was also a big debate in Australia over the appointment of a foreign coach, but he would not join the debate. “Same thing (debate over foreign coach) happens in Australia – they hire somebody from overseas, triggering a big debate back in Australia. We all say ‘what the hell is going on’. I don’t know the politics behind this. I wouldn’t go there,” he said. Asked which other Indian bowlers apart from Shardul Thakur he is impressed with, Thomson said he doesn’t watch Indian Test bowlers unless they play in Australia or are in his presence at the Bowling Foundation. “I don’t watch Indian Test bowlers, unless they play in Australia and in my presence at the Bowling Foundation,” he said. “It is hard to be a Test player in India because of a large population that results in big competition and therefore, they have to do something special and that’s what we are trying to do with the help of a bowling foundation as ours,” he said. Praising Shardul, Thomson said the Mumbai pacer may have lost pace, but he bowled intelligently in the right areas and learnt variation. “Shardul may have lost pace, but he has grown intelligent and bowling at the right areas and has learnt variation. When a fast bowler loses paces, he always bowls intelligently,” Thomson said. “Shardul is as good as anybody else. He has got all the tricks and all the ability,” he said.