The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Sunday issued an advertisement for the post of the head coach and three support staff for the senior men’s team as per the Lodha Committee mandated constitution.
According to recent reports, former India captain Rahul Dravid, who is currently heading the NCA and has been the guiding force behind the India A and U-19 programmes, is the frontrunner to get the job of head coach.
However, the BCCI needs to have a Cricket Advisory Committee in place and they will have to make a formal recommendation to the BCCI Apex Council. The last date of application for all posts is October 26.
That is the reason the BCCI has now issued the advertisement for the head coach’s post for a period of two years till the 2023 ODI World Cup, along with positions for batting, bowling and fielding coaches.
Ravi Shastri, along with bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, will complete their tenures at the end of India’s T20 World Cup campaign next month.
Batting coach Vikram Rathour, though, is expected to get an extension if he applies.
For the bowling coach’s position, the long-standing India A and U-19 coach Paras Mhambrey, is the frontrunner to get the job.
For the head coach’s post, the applicant will need to have played either 30 Tests or 50 ODIs, along with experience of either coaching a national team for two years or any IPL team for three years.
He/she will be in charge of a team of support staff ranging between 14 to 16 people.
“The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a world class Indian cricket team which delivers sustained success in all conditions and formats, inspiring current and future generations of cricketers and stakeholders with their approach to the game,” stated the BCCI.
The head coach will be responsible for reviewing, maintaining, and enforcing the disciplinary codes within the Indian men’s team.
He/she will also work with the head of National Cricket Academy to formulate a developmental plan for the upskilling of players who are not a part of the national team as and when possible.
He/she will need to “observe players in elite competitions with the national selectors and provide strategic inputs with respect to selection wherever required and provide support and advice in the development of a cricket pathway.”
The BCCI also feels that the incumbent head coach “needs to demonstrate great organizational and tactical strengths and will be responsible for setting out and then executing short, medium and long-term plans for the development of the Indian team.
“Central to these will be the ability to manage the playing and coaching resources at their disposal to the greatest effect across the three forms of the game.”
For the other support staff, the qualification demands 10 Tests or 25 ODIs or association or experience of working with IPL/A teams for a period of three years.
Another post for which BCCI is looking for a candidate is head of ‘Sports Science and Medicine’ at the National Cricket Academy after Ashish Kaushik quit the post recently.
Inputs from PTI