Anil Kumble "Didn't Give" Seniors Free Hand: World Cup Winner Names 'Ideal' India Coach. Not Ravi Shastri

Anil Kumble's exit as the Indian cricket team coach was a widely publicised event

The 1983 World Cup winner and ex-chairman of selectors, Sandeep Patil feels John Wright's approach of giving a free-hand to players led to his successful coaching stint with India, something his more authoritarian successors Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble failed to emulate. In his autobiography -- Beyond Boundaries -- launched here on Wednesday, Patil gave deep insights about the reason behind Wright's success as India coach vis a vis Chappell and Kumble.

"Since 2000, India have had an array of international coaches and support staff. This has paid rich dividends, because India's overseas record has improved steadily. It all started with John Wright becoming India's first foreign coach.

"I think John was the ideal coach for India. He was soft spoken, polite, well-mannered, always kept to himself, and was happy to be in Sourav Ganguly's shadow.

"In addition to all that, he kept a distance from the Press. He managed that so well, that he was hardly in the news — unlike what happened in the Greg Chappell years," Patil wrote in his book.

"With Chappell, he was in the news every day. It is very important for a coach to first understand the policy of that particular board, the thinking of the board members, and the President. He should have a good rapport with the President and the Secretary, and of course the captain and the team. John did that wonderfully." Patil observed that every player was equal and the team came first for Wright.