Kumble's fate hangs in balance

Altogether 57 candidates have applied for the post, including the likes of former India skippers Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and current selection committee chairman Sandip Patil, after the board had invited applications through its website.

The technical committee is also likely to dwell on the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Justice Lodha Committee’s recommendations for sweeping reforms in the BCCI, which is expected by early next month.

A day after Sportstar reported Anil Kumble having joined the race for India’s head coach’s post, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, remained non-committal on whether his application will be considered for the post.

“(It) will be decided by adjudicators if lack of one experience is ok and if it can be compensated in any other way,” BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said here on Tuesday.

Despite leading India’s Test team during a tumultuous phase, Kumble does not fulfil the BCCI’s condition laid down in the criteria for the aspiring candidates of having either coached an international of first-class team. However, India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs has mentored two Indian Premier League franchises, the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Meanwhile, the agenda for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) working committee, to be held on June 24, specifies that there will be a discussion on the head coach of the Indian team. However, three days after the deadline for submitting application has expired, the BCCI seems to be in no hurry to zero in on the successor of Ravi Shastri (his designation may have been team director but Shastri was heading the coaching staff for the last 18 months).

“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,” Shirke said here on Tuesday.

“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.”

When the BCCI last appointed a coach after interviewing candidates in public glare, in 2007 when Graham Ford was appointed before the South African backed out, it had roped in three former India captains – Sunil Gavaskar, Shatri and S. Venkatraghavan – to interview the shortlisted candidates.

This time around, however, the BCCI, according to Shirke, hasn’t even approached any former cricketer to help them identify the suitable candidate. “No, nothing has been done so far,” Shirke said, when asked if the BCCI had sought the consent of a former India captain. “When it is finalised, it will be announced.” Pressed further about whether the BCCI will form a sub-committee to appoint a coach, he said, “No comment.”