Day-night Test, India coach top BCCI agenda

The working committee of the Indian cricket Board will meet in Dharamsala on June 24 with a final decision on the national coach top of the agenda.

A total of 57 applications were received in response to BCCI’s advertisement. Ravi Shastri, who was team director until the World T20, former skipper Anil Kumble, current chief selector Sandeep Patil, his colleague Vikram Rathour and former bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad are among those in the fray. The new coach is expected to accompany the team for the West Indies Test tour next month.

BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke is pruning the list, which is then expected to be further trimmed by the advisory panel of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman before the working committee takes it up.

The meeting is also expected to discuss staging day-night Tests with the pink ball and the technical committee recommendation to hold Ranji Trophy matches at neutral venues to prevent home teams from tinkering with pitches, although the move has been criticised. The Indian Board secretary, Ajay Shirke, said on Tuesday that it still plans to host its first daynight Test. He denied reports that New Zealand had turned down the BCCI proposal to become the first team to play a pink-ball Test in India. Eden Gardens is among the contenders for that game. An NZC spokesman said New Zealand, who played the first pink-ball Test against Australia last November, were committed to a day-night Test in India. “The only comment NZC has made on the matter is that it’s supportive of the concept... and that stance hasn’t changed.” PRUNING THE LIST Meanwhile, Shirke said, “The first step is to make the list from 57 to the eligible and then it will go for further scrutiny and then the most eligible candidates will go through a process of interviews, presentations. All of this will be done and the best candidate will be finalised.” Shirke was non committal on when the new full-time head coach for the team would be finalised. “There is no deadline as such, the process has to be completed and as soon as the process is completed, the final selections will be announced.”