Gary Kirsten joins race to become Indian women’s cricket team coach: Report

With Romesh Powar’s stint as the interim coach coming to an end, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked for application and reports suggest that Gary Kirsten is interested in the position.

Gary Kirsten, who was the Indian men’s cricket team’s coach when they won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup title, has joined the race to become the new coach of the Indian women’s cricket team, according to a report in The Times of India.

Gary Kirsten (Head Coach) during the South African national cricket team squad announcement and kit launch. (Getty Images)

With Romesh Powar’s stint as the interim coach coming to an end, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked for application and reports suggest that the 51-year-old South African is interested in the position.

Kirsten was Team India’s head coach for three years from 2008 to 2011. He then coached South Africa from 2011 to 2013 and is is currently the head coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

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Powar was appointed in August after Tushar Arothe quit following differences with the senior players over training methods. After Powar’s departure, it remains to be seen how T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and ODI captain Mithali bury their differences.

The feud between senior India woman cricketer Mithali Raj and Ramesh Powar is heading towards an end without any intervention from the administrators with the coach’s three-month interim tenure ending on Friday.

Raj, the highest run scorer in the women’s international game and still India’s one-day captain, was left out of the squad for last week’s semi-final loss to England, triggering a high-profile row with team staff.

Coach Ramesh Powar blasted the veteran batswoman for “blackmailing” officials, amid reports she had demanded to choose her own batting position earlier in the tournament.

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Raj sent a fiery letter to India’s cricket board singling out Powar and other officials, accusing them of bias and claiming they were trying to destroy her career.

Powar briefed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday about the behind-the-scenes tumult at the T20 tournament.

(With agency inputs)