Ravi Shastri keen for extension as BCCI look to announce Team India head coach name by mid-August

If everything goes as per schedule, the name of the next coach should be out by mid-August—the target of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

The Indian cricket board is keen to complete the coach selection process quickly once the applications are opened on July 30. It is learnt current India coach Ravi Shastri and most of his support staff will seek re-appointment. If everything goes as per schedule, the name of the next coach should be out by mid-August—the target of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The team will be in the West Indies when the interview process is completed. Shastri and the assistant coaches are on a 45-day extension after the World Cup, when their contract ended.

India's head coach Ravi Shastri in fray to be reappointed as Team India head coach(AFP)

The application process is still on. The candidates will have to mail applications to BCCI on a locked ID, which will only be opened on deadline day (July 30). That will prevent the names of applicants being leaked, unless the candidate reveals it.

The current coaching staff has been exempted from applying and will be directly interviewed.

There was speculation whether Shastri will be interested in returning to TV commentary, a relatively less stressful job. However, early indications to the Board are that he is keen for an extension. Skipper Virat Kohli is expected to back him due to their strong working relationship.

Expected to return to India only by July 28, Shastri will be in the Caribbean when the interview is done, and is likely to give his presentation and interview over Skype. The India team leaves for the Caribbean tour on July 29.

Though individual equations may not matter much, unlike the last time, Shastri will approach the interview on a confident note as he is known to have good understanding with his former captain Kapil Dev, who is in the running to chair the Cricket Advisory Committee that will select the coach.

Sourav Ganguly, who was a member of the previous CAC, and Shastri didn’t share cordial relations and were involved in a public spat after the three-man body (Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were the others) snubbed Shastri in the 2016 selection process. Shastri, who had sought an extension, was ignored and Anil Kumble appointed, though the latter stepped down in less than a year after his fallout with Kohli.

“Those who can’t be physically present can appear before the CAC on Skype,” said a BCCI official, who did not wish to be named. “The interview process will be over in a couple of days.”

BCCI will scrutinise the applications after the July 30 deadline and call the short-listed candidates for presentation and interview.

Batting coach Sanjay Bangar and bowling coach Bharat Arun too are certain to seek extension. Among the current support staff, only physio Patrick Farhart and trainer Shankar Basu have opted out.

Among the other names expected to apply are Tom Moody (for chief coach), Pravin Amre (batting coach) and Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach). Moody applied the last time too and made a highly impressive presentation.

BCCI has set stiff conditions for the coaching positions this time but Board officials expect more applications than the last time in 2017, when it was an open secret that Shastri was a certainty.

From among IPL coaches, a few high-profile names like Ricky Ponting, Stephen Fleming and Mahela Jayawardene, meet the credentials required. It remains to be seen if the three do apply. Given the scrutiny the India coach’s job receives, some like Fleming have kept away.

BCCI is awaiting Supreme Court approval to form an ad hoc CAC. According to the new constitution, only the BCCI AGM can choose the panel, and hence the court’s clearance is being sought.

The Board is confident of getting the SC nod this week. The three-member committee of Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy had selected the national women’s team coach—WV Raman.

BCCI has no plans to change the national selection committee members. Only those who have completed their tenure will be replaced as per procedure, at the AGM.