Never term coaches as Indian or overseas - Bangar

Sanjay Bangar, the India assistant coach, has said that it is unfair to categorise the coach as Indian or overseas, and that what matters instead is the competence of the man in the job.

"It should never be termed as an Indian or an overseas coach," Bangar told ESPNcricinfo in an interview to be published on Thursday. "We need to get over such things. You need to be competent enough. You need to be challenging your own benchmark on a regular basis. Cricket is evolving and any person in that capacity (coach) needs to constantly evolve, try and improve and bring fresh ideas."

Bangar, along with B Arun and R Sridhar, was rushed to England by the BCCI in August to assist Duncan Fletcher for the ODI leg of India's tour after the 1-3 Test series loss. Despite the abruptness of the BCCI call, Bangar, the 41-year old former India opener, said he was far from being "overwhelmed" at the job. "I just look at the job as one level ahead, as a responsibility. It is again about trying build relationships, trying to earn respect, trying to earn the trust of the people you work with. It takes time."

Bangar, who retired from first-class cricket in January 2013, was handpicked by Ravi Shastri, the team director during the England ODI series, because he felt that an Indian could serve the team better. "It all boils down to individuals," Bangar said. "How badly one wants to make a mark that probably drives the kind of work he eventually does."

When he received a call from the board, Bangar was putting in place plans for Kings XI Punjab's campaign in the Champions League T20 as only the second Indian head coach of an IPL franchise after Lalchand Rajput at Mumbai Indians in 2008. Discarded as not fit for T20 as a player as recently as 2009, Bangar excelled as coach when his tactics and open approach helped Kings XI to make their maiden IPL final, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders, the same franchise that had sent Bangar back home five years ago.

Bangar spoke in the interview about how he relied on the experience of Virender Sehwag, who he said was instrumental in keeping the Kings XI dressing room competitive. Sehwag, 35, has been out of the India side for more than a year, but according to Bangar, he still carried the same imposing presence as a batsman with which he had built his career. "His overall personality and the way he conducted himself without any sort of inflated self-importance had a tremendous impact on the entire group. Not just the uncapped Indian players, but even among the overseas players."

Bangar was optimistic about Sehwag still being able to make an international comeback. "By the way he has played his cricket (in the IPL) he has made a case for himself. The hundred he got in the qualifier (122 off 58 balls against Chennai Super Kings) was a special innings and everybody would agree to it."