Vishakhapatnam
Reflecting on the tumultuous phase that gripped Indian cricket during last year’s Champions Trophy, Laxman said the episode left a ‘bitter taste in the mouth’. “I don’t think Kohli crossed the line. We at the CAC thought Anil should continue as coach, but he thought the right decision was to quit and move ahead. It left a bitter taste in the mouth,” said Laxman.
The CAC, comprising Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, picked Kumble as national coach in 2016. However, the appointment didn’t quite work out as Kumble and Kohli’s difference of opinions spiralled into a full-blown public fallout which culminated in Kumble stepping down. The former skipper went on to say that his relationship with Kohli had become untenable. “What I did not like was the way he was getting bad press during the Champions Trophy. The CAC wanted Anil to continue and the entire episode was very unfortunate,” added Laxman.
“I always tell people CAC is not a marriage counsellor. We were tasked with selecting the best possible person. We did a very elaborate process - unfortunately, Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble did not work out.”
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