Jonty Rhodes gives honest assessment after missing out on India fielding coach job
Former South Africa player Jonty Rhodes reacted for the first time after missing out on the job of India's fielding coach to R Sridhar, who remained the MSK Prasad-led selection committee's first choice for the post.
The incumbent Sridhar was looked at as a more viable option because of his familiarity with the setup and the selection panel decided to stick to him till the 2021 World Cup, meaning Rhodes missing out on the high profile job.
Speaking about it for the first time after the decision was announced on Wednesday, Rhodes was brutally honest.
"I am sure my interview was not as good as the one with the incumbent coach because he has been there for the last couple of years. Players have definitely worked with a plan. And you can see the progress as it just doesn’t happen. I am expecting that from an interview point of view - he kicked my butt," Rhodes said in an event in Chennai according to Hindustan Times.
"As a fielding coach, I did a couple of years of coaching with the South African team till the 2007 World Cup. Since then, I have only worked in India. I am way more familiar with the cricketing set up in India than I am in South Africa," he added.
Rhodes has been in India for a long time and even served as the fielding coach of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. However, the South African didn't just miss out to Sridhar. He was not in any of the top three choices.
Abhay Sharma and T Dilip respectively pipped him to the second and third position and according to Prasad, those roles were not for the South African.
Explaining the selection, Prasad said: "R Sridhar is one of the best fielding coaches. Unfortunately in the World Cup, maybe he wouldn't have got... there were 2-3 wicketkeepers in the side, we all know that. Otherwise, he has transformed this into a wonderful fielding unit. There is no second thoughts about Sridhar."
"With regards to the 2nd and 3rd position, we don't see Jonty Rhodes fitting in there because those roles are more for India A levels and the NCA."
