Sir Geoffrey Boycott's oft-expressed dream of coaching in India may finally be coming true.
The National Cricket Academy resolved at a meeting in Kolkata on Wednesday to ask the former England captain and opening batsman to coach youngsters at its facility in Bangalore.
Besides Patel, Sunil Gavaskar, Boycott's colleague on the ESPN-STAR Sports television commentary team, and Dilip Vengsarkar attended the meeting.
"We will ask him [Boycott] when he will be free to come to Bangalore," Patel said. "The matter is only at the proposal stage."
It was not immediately known if the NCA had discussed Boycott's candidature with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or whether the acerbic Englishman's busy commentary schedule would allow him time for the assignment.
"We will have to see what stage the NCA camps are in when Boycott makes time, if at all he is able to do so," Patel said.
BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya had said last year that the services of Indian team coach John Wright could be sought for the NCA.
NCA talent searcher Vengsarkar said school cricket is most promising in Uttar Pradesh. "Young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla holds promise, as do many others," he said.
The NCA has decided to grant the Border-Gavaskar scholarship this year to South Zone batsman Venugopal Rao, who scored an unbeaten double century against England 'A' in the Duleep Trophy competition, and left-handed opening batsman from Delhi Shikhar Dhawan, who cracked three centuries in the under-19 World Cup in Dhaka. They will be sent to the Australian Cricket Academy for coaching.