Shastri
was
appointed
Team
Director
by
erstwhile
BCCI
president
Srinivasan
back
in
2014
after
India
lost
the
Test
series
in
England
1-3.

“I
think
it’s
been
one
helluva
of
a
journey
for
me,
personally.
I
know
it
is
my
last
day
in
the
dressing
room,
I
just
spoke
to
the
boys,
but
I
would
like
to
thank
the
BCCI,
for
giving
me
this
opportunity,
believing
that
I
could
do
the
job
and
I
wish
the
coach
coming
after
me
all
the
luck,”
Shastri
said
at
the
press
conference.

“I
must
thank
in
this
also,
all
the
committees,
that
were
there
in
picking
me
as
the
coach,
including
Vinod
Rai
and
his
team
for
some-time,
the
COA,
I
would
like
thank
all
of
them
because,
they
were
all
part
of
the
journey,”
he
said.

But
the
highest
regards
was
reserved
for
Srinivasan,
one
of
the
most
powerful
BCCI
presidents
in
the
history
of
Indian
cricket.

‘…but
one
man
I
would
like
to
give
special
mention
–
–
his
name
is
N
Srinivasan.
He
was
the
man
who
insisted
that
I
do
this
job
in
2014.
In
fact,
I
didn’t
have
the
belief
(that)
I
could
do
this
job,
he
seemed
to
have
more
belief
in
my
ability
than
I
had.

And
I
hope,
I
haven’t
let
him
down,
so
if
Sir
(Srinivasan),
“you
are
listening,
I
got
the
opportunity
and
I
did
my
work
without
any
agenda,”
Shastri
seemed
a
touch
emotional
while
thanking
the
former
board
supremo.

Shastri
then
took
over
as
the
full
time
coach
in
2017
from
Anil
Kumble
post
the
ICC
Champions
Trophy.
Virat
Kohli
had
indicated
dissatisfaction
over
Kumble’s
coaching
style,
and
wanted
a
change
and
Shastri
fitted
the
bill.