The Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators has told India coach Ravi Shastri to “let people be the judge”, on whether this is the best travelling team. The remark came after Shastri reiterated his much-publicised comment that his team was “India’s best travelling team in last 15 years” during a meeting with CoA.

Quoting a BCCI official present at the meeting, a PTI report said, “Ravi initially started off by saying that the Indian media always criticises it’s own players and how this is one of the best ever teams in the last 15 years.”

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By criticism, the India coach was referring to a verbal exchange between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a journalist in the British land after England thrashed the visiting team 3-1 in the five-match Test series.

During a press conference in England, when Kohli was asked about Ravi Shastri’s “best travelling” team remark, the 30-year-old skipper asked the journalist’s view on it and when the scribe said he was not sure, Kohli snapped back and said, “That’s your opinion, thank you.”

At the meeting, when Shastri continued to harp on how great this current team was, one of the CoA members just cut him short. According to the BCCI official, the CoA member told him: “Let’s stick to the agenda of the meeting and discuss Australia tour policies. You don’t decide if the team is the best travelling side in the world. Let people be the judge.”

Shastri and Kohli were also told that the Men-in-Blue were given every facility that they sought and their performances should also match the inputs.

“One of the senior members attending the meeting told the Kohli-Shastri duo that there is nothing wrong if BCCI wants them to perform well overseas,” the official added.

Quoting the BCCI member as telling the cricketers, the BCCI official told PTI: “You have been given everything — from hefty central contracts to practice facilities, support staff, whatever you guys have wanted, so it’s only fair that your performances are put in perspective.”

“Ajinkya (Rahane) as usual was pretty quiet for most of the part and Rohit (Sharma) joined a bit late as he was coming from Mumbai. Rohit was only speaking when spoken too,” the official added.

The meeting was attended by CoA members (Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji), BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, IPL COO Hemang Amin, GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim along with skipper Kohli, coach Shastri, ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma, Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.