Less than 72 hours before the controversial selection process for India’s support staff is set to begin, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) chairman Kapil Dev has demanded that his three-member panel be involved in the selection process.
When asked if the reappointed head coach Ravi Shastri should be involved in the interview process, Kapil shot back: “Even we should be consulted. We have given a recommendation to the Board in black and white in the minutes that we should also be involved in the support staff selection process. I think the Board will release that letter to you also, which I don’t know. We have given a letter to the Board.”
More than 20 candidates
According to the Supreme Court-directed administrative overhaul of the BCCI, the head coach is to be decided by the CAC, while the national selection panel is tasked with identifying the support staff. Accordingly, the selection committee, headed by M.S.K. Prasad, is scheduled to interview more than 20 candidates combined for the posts of batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach from Monday (August 19) till Thursday (August 22).
When prodded further if he feels the selectors — who are supposed to be appointed annually by the BCCI’s general body — should be appointing support staff, Kapil said: “No. Their strength and our strength should combine together. It should be a cohesive effort of all the stakeholders with an aim to improve the team.”
While the BCCI is unlikely to make the letter by the CAC members public, a senior executive confirmed that the CAC’s letter will be forwarded to the Committee of Administrators (CoA). According to him, the “CoA will take the final call”.
Shastri seeks involvement
The Hindu also understands that during his interaction with the CAC on Friday, Shastri stressed on having a say in choosing the support staff. Two years ago, when Shastri was roped in as the India head coach for the first time, the BCCI had announced Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid to be bowling and bowling consultants, respectively, on overseas tours. However, Shastri had the last laugh with his and captain Virat Kohli’s favourite triumvirate of B. Arun, R. Sridhar and Sanjay Bangar being reappointed as bowling, fielding and batting coach, respectively.
The selection panel, led by former India wicketkeeper Prasad, has been on a sticky wicket, with the members’ lack of international cricket experience being criticised by legendary cricketers, including former captains Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar. It will be interesting to see if Prasad & Co. reach out to the captain, coach and CAC informally.
