No reason for shunning Australian coaches: Ponting

Bangalore, June 13 (UNI) Notwithstanding Greg Chappell's flop show, Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting today batted for an Australian coach to take over the reigns of Team India even as he warned the 'coach dilemma' might prove detrimental to Dravid and Co.

Talking to newspersons here on the sidelines of a function, Ponting said that though a cricket team was mainly led by a captain like in any other sport, a coach was important as he helped the teams in mapping out its programmes, organising training sessions and maintaining a ''pleasant environment'' in the team, considering the hectic schedule in the present era.

When asked to comment over the alleged opposition by Sunil Gavaskar, a key member in the BCCI Coach Selection Committee, to appointing an Australian as Indian coach, he said ''you look around and you find Australian coaches doing extremely well in half of the World's sides.

''Tom Moody is a good example, who took Sri Lanka to the World Cup final. It's upto those guys (members of the Committee) to decide. I can't see why an Australian cannot do a good job as an Indian Coach.'' Explaining the importance of a professional coach, the Aussie skipper said it was important that a professional be appointed as coach to take care of the team's needs.

''The captain is the one who basically runs the game of cricket, but a coach can make the job of a cricketer much easier. So it is important for India not to let the ''Coach dilemma'' continue further,'' he added.

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