The Indian cricket board Tuesday invited applications for the men’s team support staff including head coach who will need to be less than 60 years of age with a minimum international experience of two years.
The BCCI has streamlined the process of hiring the supportstaff including head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach,physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach and administrative manager.The application deadline for all the roles is 5 PM, July 30.
Before Ravi Shastri was appointed as the head coach in July2017, the BCCI had issued a nine-point eligibility criteria which lacked focusand clarity. This time, it is only a three-point criteria for all the coachingroles including head coach besides the positions in the batting, bowling andfielding department.
“The current coaching staff of Team India will get anautomatic entry in the recruitment process,” said the BCCI in a statement.
The head coach should have coached a Test playing nation fora minimum of two years or three years with an associate member/A team/IPL side.The applicant also should have played 30 Tests or 50 ODIs.
The criteria remains the same for batting, bowling andfielding coach except the number of games played. The three personnel shouldhave played at least 10 Tests or 25 ODIs and be less than 60 years of age. Thecurrent support staff comprising Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, battingcoach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar were given a 45-day extensionfollowing the World Cup, covering the West Indies tour from August 3 toSeptember 3.
All of them can re-apply but the team is set to have a newtrainer and physio after the departure of Shankar Basu and Patrick Farhartfollowing India’s semifinal exit in the World Cup.
After the West Indies tour, India’s home season kicks offwith a series against South Africa, beginning September 15.
Shastri was appointed India chief coach in 2017 after AnilKumble’s tenure ended prematurely in controversial circumstances. The 57-year-oldwas also India’s director of cricket from August 2014 to June 2016.India have not won a major ICC event under hisguidance though the team did make history by winning a maiden Test series inAustralia earlier this year.