Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or a Foreign Recruit? BCCI Mum Over Next Team India Coach
Board of Control for Cricket in India gave away no hints as to who will be the next Team India coach. Talks on Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid's role remain in the realms of speculation.
Responding to questions regarding Team India's next coach, Board of Control for Cricket in India's newly-appointed secretary Anurag Thakur said the Board was in no hurry to name Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher's successor.(Harbhajan's Burning Desire to Play for India)
In recent weeks, the names of Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have done the rounds with former Test captain Sunil Gavaskar backing the Prince of Kolkata if "he had the time to become a full-time coach". Ganguly is the joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal and is a busy media man, hosting reality shows among others.(Harbhajan Singh Back in India Test Squad for Bangladesh Series)
The BCCI is in no rush and rightly so. There is a new Test captain and Virat Kohli forged a good relationship with Ravi Shastri, who stepped in as Team Director after the Test rout in England last summer. Shastri continued in his role till the World Cup Down Under.('Harbhajan's Twin Strike Turned the Game Around')
"Good things come to those who wait, hence we are taking time to zero in on a coach," said Thakur in Mumbai on Wednesday while addressing the media after selecting Indian squads for the upcoming Bangladesh tour.(Harbhajan Singh Says he is Using his Maximum Experience)
Fletcher had taken over from World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten in 2011 and his tenure concluded with the World Cup 2015, where India finished as one of the semi-finalists.(Dean Jones Says Harbhajan's 2 Wickets Were the Turning Point vs Chennai)
Will it be a foreign coach again?(Justin Langer Says no)
Without revealing whether the Board has shortlisted any high-profile names, Thakur spoke about the expectations from the incoming coach.
"We want to improve our performances overseas in the overall interest of Indian cricket. We want to pick a coach who can deliver," Thakur said.
"We are in the process of finalising the coach. It will take time to pick the right option," Thakur added.
After being on the road for majority of 2014, Team India will play a lot of cricket within the Asian Sub-continent in 2015, starting with a tour of Bangladesh next month.