BCCI extends deadline for coach’s job, brings Shastri in frame
MUMBAI: In keeping with India captain Virat Kohli’s wish to have Ravi Shastri as coach again, the BCCI paved the way for the former India all-rounder to throw his hat in the ring for the most coveted coaching post in the cricket world by extending the deadline to apply till July 9.
In a release issued on Friday night, BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said: “The BCCI has extended the timeline for submission of applications for the post of Head Coach for India men’s cricket team. The candidates who have applied earlier need not re-apply and will be included in the final list of applicants. The last date for submission of applications is hence extended to the 9th of July, 2017.”
BCCI’s official line is that they have re-opened the process – necessitated after Anil Kumble stepped down – because some prospective candidates may not have applied earlier thinking they didn’t have a chance with the highly-successful incumbent also in the fray.
While the deadline extension allows Shastri to apply for the vacant post, it is a complicated situation for the BCCI. Sourav Ganguly, part of the Cricket Advisory Committee that is going to decide on the coach, had a public spat with Shastri over how the coach selection process was conducted last year. Also, some of the coaches who have already applied are not happy with BCCI’s move. In fact, Virender Sehwag, had to be convinced by some Board members to apply.
A report suggested that former team director Shastri had already been approached by the BCCI but was willing to apply only if he was assured of getting the job. “It is no secret that skipper Virat Kohli wants Shastri back at the helm and Shastri was spoken to so that he applies for the interview process. But the former team director isn’t willing to be in a position where his claim is rejected again. He has made it clear he will speak to the BCCI or CAC on this matter. KABUL: Cricket-mad Afghanistan was euphoric after being awarded Test match status, a rare glimmer of good news amid rising insecurity, though many lamented the lack of sports infrastructure in the conflict-torn country.
Both Ireland and Afghanistan became cricket’s 11th and 12th Test nations on Thursday following a unanimous vote by the International Cricket Council during its annual meeting in London. “This achievement was a dream for Afghanistan and we have been yearning for this status,” said Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Atif Mashal, hailing it as a “historic achievement”.
“We have been granted the full membership and the Test status, and I congratulate this news to the cricket board, and to the entire Afghan nation.”
Afghan cricket has made rapid strides since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, with the country’s premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan making waves in T20 leagues including Indian Premier League this year.
The successes have brought much-needed cheer in a country beset by a wrenching conflict that has resulted in a record number of civilian casualties.
HUGE ACHIEVEMENT
“For a nation like Afghanistan it is a huge and remarkable achievement, the entire nation will be celebrating,” said Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai.
“Afghanistan... dared to dream that this would happen and today it has become a reality.”
But many fans rued the lack of infrastructure -- and security -- to host international matches.
“Afghanistan does not have many cricket grounds that meet international standards and most importantly security to host games,” said 24-year-old Kabul resident Mohammad Daud.
“It’s a shame that we have got Test status but don’t have the infrastructure to match.”
Last year, Afghanistan’s national team shifted its base from Sharjah in United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India’s former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq as team coach.
There are also questions about how well Afghanistan will do in the game’s longest format.
Unlike the sport’s other major players, Afghanistan was never a colony of the British Empire. Instead many Afghans’ first contact with the sport took place during the 1980s and 1990s, as refugees who had fled to Pakistan to escape the Soviet invasion.
Cricket struggled under the Taliban, who viewed sports as a distraction from religious duties -- and famously shaved the heads of a visiting Pakistani football team as punishment for wearing shorts.