The 53-year-old believes that Kumble will help India stay at the top of their game and keep an eye on the state of Test cricket at the same time. "I think it is a very good move. He is a very well respected person, and someone who is involved with the ICC as well," Walsh said on Saturday (July 16).
"He (Kumble) has always wanted to contribute and give something back to cricket and his heart is in the right place. I am sure he will do everything in his power to ensure that Indian cricket stays at the top or even gets better."
"At the same time, I think he will help build the game further, and to me that is the bigger picture. Sure he wants the Indian team to be number one, but he will not look after them alone. He is someone who wants to sort out Test cricket and the health of international cricket is at the top of his list as well. Having someone like him giving an input at the international level will be great."
Kumble had a distinguished career in international cricket, picking up more than 950 wickets and hence would be commanding a lot of respect in the dressing room, according to Walsh.
"They will have immense respect for him because they will have seen him play all those years," Walsh said. "Plus, Kumble has been involved with cricket quite a lot since he stopped playing and he knows the ins and outs of the current-day game. His passion is second to none, and it reflects in the way they are led by captain Virat Kohli. I like to read body language and you can tell they want to play good cricket, and that this series will be a good one."
Walsh admits that Kohli would love to 'express himself' on the pitch and has compared his passion to Kumble's.
"I think Kumble will succeed in keeping him calm," he said. "But at the same time, I don't think Kohli is a player who wants to go out there and not express himself. He leaves everything on the field and as a leader is passionate about the game and his performances. Kohli is like Kumble in that respect, and as coach, he will be able to guide and help him to achieve success."
The legendary pacer then went on to hail the skipper as one of the best batsmen in the world but is hoping for the star-studded Indian batting line-up to fail during the series so that his side can win.
"I do believe that Virat Kohli is one of the top three batsmen in the world," he remarked. "They also have other exciting batting talents, Murali Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma. All of them will be looking to make a mark in this series. I am excited to see them play here, but at the same time, I also don't want them to get too many runs against my team."
The pitches in the Caribbean have become slower over the years. The pattern is likely to continue in the Tests but Walsh wants the presence of some grass and is vary of the talent present in the Indian camp.
"I am certain they are hoping to make better pitches for the Test series," he said. "I am not holding a lot of hope though, because the wickets have definitely slowed down, perhaps a little too much. If we can somehow get more life in them, maybe leave a little more grass and get some good bounce, it would be reasonable."
"And the Indian pacers will like bowling here. They have some pace. I don't remember seeing an Indian team that had 3-4 fast bowlers who could bowl at that pace, and this team has that. They are running in and looking purposeful. Ishant Sharma looks like the leader of the attack, in control, and he knows what he is doing. Beyond that, I have no clue which ones they will pick for the first Test, which in a way is a good thing for the team management."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had earlier imposed a huge penalty on the West Indies Cricket Board and threatened to disrupt bilateral relations between the two sides after the West Indies players left India halfway through the 2014 series. Walsh is now pleased that the relations are back to normal and is expecting the hosts to make a mark.
"I am happy things are back to normal, and it is good to have this series going," he said. "It is a great opportunity for the young West Indies team to play Tests again. They are just beginning to make a mark for themselves and they haven't played Test cricket since the Australian tour. An Indian team's tour in the Caribbean is something the public here always looks forward to, and the players as well. They look eager to perform, and we are in for an interesting and intriguing Test summer."
The first of the four-Test series, begins on Antigua on July 21.
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