Former captain and head coach Ravi Shastri has advised the national selection committee that a long-term view be taken when appointing India’s next Test captain for the England tour.

Shubman Gill is the front-runner and enjoys the backing of the Ajit Agarkar-led panel, according to sources, though former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that experienced names such as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja should not
be overlooked.

The post fell vacant after Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Test cricket.

“See for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia,” Shastri said on the latest episode of ‘The ICC Review’.

“But I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler.”

He cited Bumrah’s recent struggle with a back injury sustained in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney.

“I think he (Bumrah) has to take his body one game at a time. He’s coming back
now after a serious injury,” Shastri said.

“He’ll have played IPL cricket, which is four-over cricket. Now will come the test of bowling 10 overs, 15 overs. And the last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well.”

The former head coach backed Gill and Rishabh Pant as potential prospects to take over the captaincy, with their age and longevity the key factors behind his choice.

“You groom somebody and I would say Shubman’s looked very good. Give him the opportunity. He’s 25, 26 years of age, even give him time,” Shastri said.

“There’s Rishabh as well. I think these two are the obvious ones I’m looking at because of their age and they have a decade ahead of them. So, let them learn,” Shastri said.

“You people will talk he’s not scored runs overseas. You know, that topic always comes, not scored runs overseas.

“Sometimes I tell them, go and see your own record, how much have you done overseas? Overseas, overseas, let him (Gill) play, let him get a run overseas, then he’ll score runs. He’s a class player.”