Virender Sehwag among five applicants for India coach’s job
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received responses of five candidates to its communication inviting applications for the post of India team’s head coach. The deadline for applying was on Wednesday.
It is learnt there are three Indians in the fray. Virender Sehwag and Lalchand Rajput have applied while Anil Kumble is a direct entrant. There are two foreigners and there has been talk Tom Moody, the former Sri Lanka coach and a previous applicant for the India post, could be one of them.
The Indian cricket board had invited applications for the post on May 25. Kumble’s tenure ends with the Champions Trophy and there has been speculation on whether he will get an extension.
The record of Anil Kumble, who took over in July last year, has been brilliant and he led the team to five successive series wins --- four at home and one in the West Indies.
The Board may be tempted to look at his performance in the Champions Trophy as it will be the first major global event outside India that he’ll be guiding the team in.
Some of the BCCI officials had expressed displeasure over Kumble recommending a hike in the pay package of players in Grade A in BCCI’s retainership as well as himself.
Although Sehwag had earlier denied he was approached to apply for the job, it is learnt some top officials of the BCCI have been pushing his case. It is learnt some members of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had expressed displeasure when Sehwag name cropped up in connection with the coach’s job during a recent meeting with BCCI officials.
The former India opener has no coaching experience though he has been the Kings XI Punjab team’s mentor in the last two seasons.
Rajput was coach of the India team that won the World T20 in 2007. He also has a lot of experience coaching youth teams, including India U-19, and India A.
ALTHOUGH SEHWAG HAD EARLIER DENIED HE WAS APPROACHED FOR THE JOB, SOME TOP BCCI OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN PUSHING HIS CASE.