Women's national selection panel to interview 23 candidates for performance analyst's job

23 candidates short-listed from 92 applicants for India Women's cricket team's performance analyst job will be interviewed by a panel led by Hemalata Kala.

The India Women's cricket team management had ideally wanted the analyst to join the side for the home series against South Africa, but now the support staff is likely to join ahead of the team's tour to West Indies.

The five-member women's national selection panel will interview the candidates for India women's cricket team's performance analyst's job at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters on Friday.

Top Board officials have confirmed to  Sportstar  that a total of 92 candidates had applied for the job, of which a total of 23 short-listed candidates will be interviewed by the panel, headed by Hemalata Kala. Last month, the BCCI had invited applications for the position after the team management expressed the need for a performance analyst.

It has been learned that the analyst will also perform the role of a game preparation facilitator, who will assist the coaching staff in analysis of technical and tactical aspects of the players. "It will be a one-day affair with the selectors interviewing the short-listed candidates. There may be an expert in the panel as well to help the selectors," a senior Board official, aware of the development, said.

The team management had ideally wanted the analyst to join the side for the home series against South Africa, but now the support staff is likely to join ahead of the team's tour to West Indies. The Indian women’s team’s first analyst was Aarti Nalge, who occupied the position from 2014 to 2018.

During her tenure, she came up with strategies, prepared wagon wheels and would show the players video footage of opponent players for preparation. "The focus is to get the right candidate for the job, who would be able to make a difference," the Board official said.

According to the new BCCI constitution, the selection committee is supposed to choose the support staff for men's and women's teams, while a Cricket Advisory Committee is to pick the head coaches. In August, MSK Prasad-led panel had interviewed candidates for various coaching positions for the men's team. Interestingly, NCA bowling coach Narendra Hirwani and T Dilip are likely to travel to the West Indies, as bowling and fielding coaches respectively. Selectors, this publication spoke to, were unaware of any such development.