There is a difference of opinion between the MSK Prasad-led national selection committee and the players of the Indian cricket team as far as the new strength and conditioning coach is concerned, according to a report in The Times of India.
Prasad and Co, who had picked the rest of the support staff for the Indian team last week, are going to announce the next strength and conditioning coach on August 31 in Bengaluru. The shortlisted candidates for the job are Luke Woodhouse, Grant Luden, Rajnikanth Sivagnanam, Nick Webb and Anand Date.
The selectors will be helped by expert consultant Ranadeep Moitra from Kolkata. According to a source cited by the report, there are questions being raised over the inclusion of Moitra in the selection process as ‘he is a gym instructor who was last associated with on-field cricket almost a decade ago’.
There are two factors that the Indian team management wants to be considered while selecting the strength and conditioning coach.
Firstly, he must preferably be an Indian. This is something the interviewing panel is not in agreement with. And secondly, he must have a precise understanding of what each player needs and must possess the required practical skills.
According to the report, the team management is open to either Paul Chapman or Ramji Srinivasan getting the job. Chapman has experience of working with the Indian team and the National Cricket Academy, while Srinivasan was the trainer of the World Cup-winning team in 2011.