Ravi Shastri remains favourite to continue as the Indian cricket team’s head coach after the World Cup but the BCCI will be forced to restart the process as the former India all-rounder’s service contract doesn’t have an extension or renewal clause.
Unlike most ofthe big football or NBA clubs, who have a renewal or an extension clause fortheir coaches, the BCCI, from Anil Kumble’s time as chief coach, never had thatparticular clause.
“From AnilKumble’s time, the service contract of the coaches and support staff doesn’thave an extension or renewal clause. Therefore, even if India win the World Cupunder Shastri’s coaching, he will have to come through the fresh recruitmentprocess even though he will be a direct entry into the shortlisted panel as currentcoach,” a senior BCCI official, privy to the development, told PTI on conditionof anonymity.
The officialsaid that the BCCI needs to follow the due process of putting up anadvertisement on its website for filling up the various positions of supportstaff in the senior India line-up.
“Shastri,Sanjay Bangar (batting coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and R Sridhar(fielding coach), their contracts will end with India’s last match in the WorldCup. With only 14 days left for the inaugural World Test Championship matchesagainst the West Indies, we need to complete the process in due time. Buteverything will happen after the World Cup,” he said.
The officialalso indicated that there is very little chance of Shastri being replaced ifthe team reaches at least the semi-final since under his tutelage, India havebeaten Australia in a Test series Down Under for the first time in 71 years andalso won ODI series in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
It has alsobeen learnt that this year, the mini-IPL for women will role with three teamsand four games on a round-robin basis. Last year, one exhibition match washeld.
“The Indian women’s coach WV Raman and the national selectors have given 30 names and there will be 12 foreign players. So there will be three teams of 14 players each and they will play once against each other and then the final,” the official said.