Ganguly clears air on Zaheer's appointment

Zaheer reportedly did not wish to commit more than 100 days but with CAC insisting, it is now a done deal for 150 days

India's new bowling consultant Zaheer Khan will be offered a contract of 150 days per season, informed Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly.

“Zaheer was contacted for 150 days per year," Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India has already clarified in a statement that Zaheer's appointment is on a tour-to-tour basis, it is clear that he will be spending around five months with the Indian team.

Zaheer reportedly did not wish to commit more than 100 days but with CAC insisting, it is now a done deal for 150 days.

There was no end to controversy surrounding India cricket head coach appointment as even after Ravi Shastri was picked by CAC, there was drama surrounding the appointment of support staff.

Fresh controversy started when reports emerged on Thursday that Shastri was unhappy with the appointment of Zaheer as bowling coach as he wanted to bring his trusted man Bharat Arun for the job.

Reports in some quarters claimed the Committee of Administrators (CoA) felt that the CAC, comprising Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman went out of their ambit in picking the coach.

Hurt by these criticism and reports, the CAC wrote a letter to the CoA chairman Vinod Rai and said the appointments were made after informing the new coach Shastri and India captain Virat Kohli.

The CoA later released a media release in the wake of the CAC letter and clarified that Zaheer and Dravid have been appointed as the consultants and they would be a part of the team during specific overseas tours.