Indian cricket has started its search for the next national team coach with Rahul Dravid’s tenure coming to an end following the T20 World Cup in June.
Dravid was handed a short-term extension when his two-year contract expired after India's defeat to Australia in the ODI World Cup final last November. The former India captain is said to not be interested in re-applying for the position.
That loss extended India’s trophy drought to over a decade, with their last major success being the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Now, the Indian cricket board wants to hire a coach for a longer duration – until the end of 2027. However, the pool of likely candidates is small as the coach will be expected to manage all three formats, which would mean being on the road for most of the year with some breaks in between.
Here we take a look at five potential candidates to replace Dravid as India coach.
VVS Laxman
The most obvious choice, on paper, is the former India middle order batsman who currently heads the National Cricket Academy. Laxman has also dabbled with coaching the national team in the absence of Dravid.
However, according to reports, it could be difficult to get Laxman on board as he is apparently not too keen to take up the job that is set to last three years and involve all formats. The players are fairly familiar with his style, though, so would be a safe choice who simply keeps the ball rolling.
Stephen Fleming
The Chennai Super Kings coach has emerged as a prominent name in the race to be the next coach. Fleming’s record as a cricketer and coach is exemplary and the New Zealander knows Indian cricket inside out, having successfully guided Chennai Super Kings to multiple titles.
His calm demeanour, proven man-management skills and top-tier technical knowledge have earned many admirers in the Indian cricket establishment. However, he has coaching gigs in other franchise tournaments throughout the year and it is not clear whether he would be keen to give up the relative comforts of franchise coaching and put all his time and attention to one highly demanding job.
Gautam Gambhir
The most eye-catching candidate in the race is the former India opener, who has made a name for himself by speaking freely and not worrying about upsetting any star names in the national team.
His coaching philosophy seems to have worked well at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL this year, and he is seen as someone who can crack the whip when needed and make tough decisions.
The Delhi veteran is a hard task master and chances are he could demand greater control of the side, which is not the way Indian cricket teams have been managed of late.
Ricky Ponting
One of the most respected names in cricket, Ponting is a master tactician and has the bird’s eye view of the changing landscape of cricket. He has been associated with Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, but with varying results. However, he has a keen understanding of Indian cricket and will command the complete respect of the dressing room, if appointed as coach.
That said, he has a lucrative commentary career and it will be difficult to pry Ponting away from the comfortable work cycle he has now.
Justin Langer
The former Australia coach is currently in charge of the Lucknow Super Giants and is said to be “fascinated” by the prospect of coaching the Indian team.
However, Langer had a much publicised breakdown in relations with Australian players when he was the coach of the team, despite helping win the 2021 T20 World Cup. Langer has a respectable record as a coach, winning three Big Bash titles with Perth Scorchers along with Ashes success with the national team. However, he does not have as extensive an understanding of the Indian cricket system as others.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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UPI facts
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MATCH INFO
Austria 2
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Germany 1
Ozil (11')
