Exclusive | Shane Watson eyes India coach job, says team has 'abundance of talent'
The former Australian all-rounder says he is also ready to take up the head coach role at an IPL franchise whenever there is an opportunity
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson says he is ready to take up the position of the head coach of the Indian cricket team whenever there is an opportunity.
In an exclusive interview with The Federal, Watson, who was an assistant coach at Delhi Capitals (DC), also revealed that he is willing to take up the head coach role of an Indian Premier League (IPL) side.
Recently, there were reports of him taking over as Pakistan’s head coach but he opted out. Watson was also the head coach of Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this year. He is also the head coach of San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US.
Rahul Dravid is currently the head coach of the Indian team and his contract has been extended until next month’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024. His two-year contract had ended after the ICC World Cup 2023 where India finished runner-up last year. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) retained him and the rest of the support staff. They are likely to be till the T20 World Cup, which will be held from June 2 to 29.
“I absolutely love coaching, there is no question about that. The coaching opportunity that I had with the Delhi Capitals, being an assistant (coach) to Ricky Ponting, the head coaching roles that I have had with Major League Cricket (MLC), and also the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are something that I absolutely loved,” 42-year-old Watson, who has won two World Cups and two IPL titles, told The Federal.
He added, “One of the reasons I wrote the book (The Winner's Mindset) is to be able to help as many people to be the very best that they possibly could be. A coach is a way to do it on a day-to-day with individuals in a team environment. I would love to have the opportunity to be the head coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL). And, obviously Indian cricket has an abundance of talent, skills, and it is very, very special. And if there is an opportunity to coach the Indian team, you want to work with the best players, which Indian cricket provides those.”