How Team India's next coach will be selected

BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke explains the process of zeroing in on the preferred candidate from 57 applicants for the job of India coach.
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens in.

The process of selecting Team India's next coach may not be as easy as it seems.

Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Ajay Shirke explained the process of zeroing in on the preferred candidate from the 57 applications received.

"There was a criteria announced. So, as per the criteria, whoever will be eligible that will be announced. There is no deadline as such, the process has to be completed and as soon as the process is completed the final selections will be announced," Shirke said at the BCCI's head office in Mumbai on Tuesday, June 14.

Detailing the steps of selection, Shirke stated: "The first step is to make the list from 57 to the eligible, then it will go for further scrutiny, then the most eligible candidates will go through a process of interviews, presentations.

"All of this will be done and the best candidate will be finalised."

Among the notable candidates who have applied for the top post are Sandeep Patil, the current chairman of the selectors, India spin great Anil Kumble and former team director Ravi Shastri.

Other names in the fray include former India bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, former India all-rounder Robin Singh and former pace bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu.

Shirke refused to reveal how many foreigners had applied for the coach's job.

"All I can say is that there are meritorious foreigners and meritorious Indians."

Earlier, Press Trust of India reported that the coach would be selected at the BCCI's Working Committee meeting in Dharamsala on June 24.

Shirke was non-committal.

"When it is finalised, it will be announced."

The BCCI's advertisement for the new coach states: The candidate 'should have successfully coached a cricket team of any of the member countries of the ICC, at the first class or at the International level.'

'It is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment program conducted by any of the full member countries and currently possess such a valid certification.'

There are other criteria listed and it remains to be seen how many of the 57 applicants fulfill them make the final list, after which they will 'be called upon to present their credentials and plans, in person for further evaluation.'

When told that former India captain Kumble, who has 619 wickets from 132 Tests and 337 wickets in 271 ODIs, apart from 2,506 Test runs and an overseas hundred to his credit, does not have any coaching experience, except for mentoring the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, Shirke shot back: "It will be decided by the adjudicators if lack of one experience is okay and if it can be compensated in any other way."