'Coaching in India is a difficult job. You have to know the culture; there is a lot of expectation from the team'
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has no ambitions of coaching the Indian cricket team, at least not in the near future.
Asked if he would like to take up the job of India coach if offered, the 1999 World Cup-winning captain replied: "I haven't thought about it. I am not the right candidate right now. I have a good understanding of the game, but I don't have coaching experience.”
Coaching in India, said Waugh, “is a difficult job”.
“You have to know the culture; there is a lot of expectation from the team.
"I also have three teenagers at home now, besides some business commitments. It is a great job and it would be an honour. May be five years down the line I might take it up, but not now," he added, during a media interview prior to the Laureus World Sports Awards, in Shanghai, on Wednesday.
Waugh sees himself more in a mentor's role now.
"I like mentoring and I would definitely want to do mentoring role. You have to take it step by step. Just because you have been an influential player doesn't mean that you can get into coaching. I will consider it if I get an offer from IPL players," he said.
Talking about India's performance at the World Cup, he said: "India were the favourites but it was a big total. May be one or two down with 15 overs to go and India would have won it. They obviously have a great batting line-up and it is unfair to criticise one or two players for one off day.
Pressure can do that to you. I don't think toss was decisive."
The 49-year-old was of the view that bowlers got a raw deal in the just-concluded 50-over showpiece event with the fielding restrictions.
"It was too hard on the bowlers with field restrictions, especially in the last 10 overs. There is just no way to protect the fours and sixes and the bats are of much better quality then it used to be in my time. The bat is 15-20 per cent better and the guys are 15-20 per cent stronger and the boundaries are 20 per cent shorter, so it makes a huge difference when you combine them all. That's why batsmen are dominating one-day cricket," he said.
On ICC's decision to cut down the number of teams to 10 from 14 next edition, Waugh said: "I like 12 teams. I was impressed with teams like Afghanistan and Ireland. I think the only way they are going to get better is by experience. So I think ICC needs to have shorter games. I thought six weeks was too long. I am disappointed that there will be just two associate teams next year."
On corruption in cricket: "It will be naive to think that it is not happening. ICC is doing a pretty job at the international level but the danger is at the leagues and Twenty20 competition. These have potential to get influenced by wrong forces. Players are well-educated. It is the strong captains and leaders who dictate the moral compass of the players."
