A look at the top five head coaches in cricket currently according to team rankings.
While some praise captains for leading sides towards victory, some laud individual players for riding the team towards success. However, when it comes to coaches, the team's performance decides what kind of reception they would get.
If the team performs well, the coach gets all the appreciation, however, if things go south, they will be criticized and in the worst-case scenario, they could be sacked as well.
While teams nowadays have batting coach, separate coaches for spin bowling and pace bowling, a fielding coach and sometimes, special coaches are taken in for a specific tour - the whole segregation comes under one head coach.
So a look at the top five head coaches in cricket currently according to team rankings.
1. Ravi Shastri
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Indian head coach Ravi Shastri was a charismatic player during his playing days. His all-round abilities made him an asset in the team.
He, however, retired from professional cricket at a young age and entered the world of broadcasting. Shastri was later appointed as the Director of Indian Cricket in 2014. He held that position until 2016 when Anil Kumble was handed over the role of head coach.
However, after India lost in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final, Shastri was named the head coach of the Indian team. Under his leadership, the Indian side, became strong and competed and beat several teams at home and away. India even made it to the semi-final of the World Cup 2019.
Under his tenure, India even tasted victory in the two-Test series in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. He also led India to a 5-1 win in an ODI series in South Africa, along with a 5-0 whitewash in T20Is in New Zealand.
2. Justin Langer
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After the sandpaper scandal, the man who changed the fortunes of Australian cricket would be Justin Langer. Having retired from the game in 2009, Langer took several coaching roles.
When Darren Lehmann resigned as the coach in the aftermath of the ball-tampering incident, Langer stepped up. He started rebuilding the team with new captain Tim Paine. Once David Warner and Steve Smith were back, Australia looked like a side to reckon with.
Under Justin Langer, Australia have almost won a Test series in England. The Ashes series in 2019 ended in a 2-2 draw. The Aussie team also qualified for the World Cup semis, along with winning an ODI series in England in 2020.
3. Gary Stead
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Gary Stead, who took over the coaching role of the New Zealand in 2018 has done a pretty good job. Stead was taking over from Mike Hesson, who had been extremely successful during his tenure and under his mentorship, the Blackcaps team only made improvements.
In the 2019 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand surprised some as they entered the finals. While they lost the match on a boundary rule - which doesn't exist anymore - they showed determination.
Under his coaching, New Zealand also became the No. 1 Test team in the world. The Kiwis haven't lost a Test series at home for quite some time now.
4. Chris Silverwood
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After the disastrous outing in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, England found some coaching skills when Travis Bayliss came on board. He rebuilt the squad and turned the English side into a formidable force in the limited-overs.
After the 2019 Cricket World Cup victory, Bayliss quit the role and Chris Silverwood was chosen as the head coach. He was already the bowling coach of the team. He took that position in early 2018.
Silverwood still has to face his toughest challenges and one of them would be the Test series in India. His predecessor, Bayliss had failed to win during the Test outing in his tenure.
5. Lance Klusener
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South Africa's Lance Klusener was a hard-hitting batsman batting lower down the order and was also famously known for his heroics during the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999, where he was awarded the man of the tournament.
Between 2012 to 2016, he coached the South African domestic team, Dolphins and was quite successful. Hence, he was then handed over the coaching duties of the Afghanistan cricket team in September 2019. Since taking over, Afghanistan has been doing good.
