Shastri, Duncan should stay with Team India till 2015: Laxman

Former batsman VVS Laxman believes that tinkering with Team India's support staff is not a viable option and newly-appointed Team Director Ravi Shastri and coach Duncan Fletcher should stay till the 2015 World Cup.
The Indian team management did a complete overhaul of the support staff after the team's 1-3 loss against England in the Test matches. With Shastri incharge, former India pacer Bharat Arun, ex-India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar also took charge after the ouster of bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding consultant Trevor Penney. Laxman said that the present coaching unit should be persisted with.
"I am hoping the BCCI will stick to the support staff we had for the one-dayers till the World Cup. The tournament is only six months away so there isn't enough time to chop and change," said Laxman, who was the middle-order bulwark of India's Test side for many years.

"I have worked with Ravi Shastri in 2007 when we toured Bangladesh and he is a very positive person, immense knowledge of the game, he was himself a great leader for Mumbai and he captained India in one Test that India won convincingly. Duncan Fletcher as a head coach should stay till the World Cup.
"I am glad Bharat Arun and R Sridhar got their opportunity to coach at the highest level because they have a good track record at the India A and Under-19 level, and Sanjay Bangar because of his recent success with Kings XI Punjab," Laxman told ESPNcricinfo.

The Hyderabadi batsman also opined that Rohit Sharma should open the innings for India during their title defence at the 50-over World Cup next year as the conditions in Australia will suit him.

After scoring a fifty in the second ODI against England, Rohit was ruled out following a finger injury and Ajinkya Rahane was promoted as an opener, who grabbed the opportunity by scoring a century in the fourth ODI.
However, Laxman said Rohit is the right man for the opener's job and he should be restored.
"The wickets in Australia will suit him (Rohit). He had a successful ODI series in 2007 when he was young and inexperienced. His style of batting will suit Australian conditions, so I will definitely go back to Rohit and have Rahane as a back-up but play him in the middle order," said the stylish batsman.