The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has initiated procedure to appoint coaching staff for the Indian men’s team, including that of the head coach. Rahul Dravid, the former India captain, has emerged a front-runner to take over the reins from Ravi Shastri after the T20 World Cup.
The BCCI, on Sunday, invited applications for five posts — head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach for the men’s senior team and the Head - Sports Science and Medicine at the National Cricket Academy.
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The head coach applicants — who have played at least 30 Tests or 50 ODIs or have two years experience at international level or three years a rung below it — have been set a deadline of Oct. 26 to email their application. Aspirants for the other posts have been asked to formally apply by Nov. 3.
With Dravid having been involved in informal discussions with the BCCI hierarchy over the last week about his elevation from the Head of Cricket at the NCA position to the head coach’s role, it will be interesting to see if any other candidate throws his hat into the ring.
In case of multiple applications, the BCCI will have to first reconstitute the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and then conduct interviews of shortlisted candidates to adhere to its rulebook.
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Once the head coach’s appointment is formalised, he will be consulted by the national selection panel that will finalise the coaching staff. It is understood that Paras Mhambrey, who has been Dravid’s trusted ally in developmental coaching structure for four years, will be handed over the bowling coach’s role while Vikram Rathour is set to be retained as the batting coach.
Abhay Sharma, who has been the India-A and Under-19 fielding coach and has had a short stint with the senior team, may be considered for the fielding coach’s role.
The tenure of each of the coaching roles will be two years.