Kapil Dev-led panel to pick India coach

New Delhi, July 17 

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The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has tasked the Kapil Dev-led ad-hoc committee to pick the next national coach, a move that could again divide the Supreme Court-appointed panel. The ad-hoc body comprising former India captain Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy had earlier appointed WV Raman as the Indian women’s team coach in December. One of the members confirmed that BCCI had approached them to pick the men’s head coach as well.

When the women’s coach was selected, the CoA was a two-member panel comprising chairman Vinod Rai and former India captain Diana Edulji, who had called the coach selection process unconstitutional.

She had asserted that only the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) was empowered to do so. The CoA is now a three-member body with the appointment of Lt General Ravi Thodge in February.

But with serious doubts over the future of CAC, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, the CoA thought it was prudent to hand the responsibility to the ad-hoc panel. While Tendulkar has been cleared of conflict of interest charges, Ganguly and Laxman have been asked to choose one out of their multiple cricketing roles as per the BCCI constitution. 

BCCI officials question CoA’s urgency 

The CoA’s move to invite applications for the support staff has taken certain sections of the BCCI by surprise, especially with the date of the Annual General Meeting already announced — October 22. A senior board official said that while the CoA earlier said that there would be a review meeting with the coach and skipper on the team’s performance in the World Cup, the panel has suddenly decided to go ahead and invite applications for the coaching staff. — Agencies