Kumble, Shastri, Moody interviewed for national coach's job by BCCI advisory panel

Former India skippers Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri, and Australian ex-cricketer Tom Moody were among the big names interviewed for the job of India's cricket coach by a three member committee of the game's legends here on Tuesday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's all-powerful cricket advisory committee comprising Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar - the latter joining the deliberations via video conference - also interviewed former Australian player Stuart Law, retired English first class cricketer Andy Moles and ex Indian batsman Lalchand Rajput among others.

Ganguly later said Amre, Kumble and Rajpoot were present in person at the five star hotel Taj Bengal, while the committee spoke to Shastri over Skype.

"Among overseas men, we spoke to Moody, Law and Moles via Skype," said Ganguly, who left the interview midway to attend a working committee meeting of the Cricket Association of Bengal. He rejoined the interview panel later in the evening.

"Around 10-12 candidates will be interviewed today," he said.

"I have made my presentation already. Let's see what happens. Sachin was not here but we had a word via video conference," Amre told reporters here.

Current chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil was reportedly not called for the interview.

Sources said the interviews will end on Tuesday itself.

Kumble, himself a legend of the game and the most celebrated cricketer in the list, is the highest India wicketktaker in both Tests and One Day Internationals, with 956 scalps.

Shastri, an all rounder who represented the country in 80 Test matches and 150 ODIs during a long 11-year international career from 1981 to 1992, coached the Indian team for a brief period in 2007, and was more recently the team director for 18 months, guiding the national side to the semi finals of the 50-over World Cup last year and the ICC World T20 in March.

Rajput had a none-too-bright international career, turning out for India in only two Tests and four ODIs. However, he has functioned as manager of Indian cricket team for a brief period.

Moody had a modest player biodata, but did well as coach of the Sri Lankan team, by stewarding them to the 2007 world Cup final.

Law turned out for Australia for only one Test and 54 one-dayers. He was head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team in 2011-2012.

Moles never played for England, but has a rich experience as international coach. He has coached the national teams of Hong Kong, Kenya,Scotland, New Zealand, and Afghanistan over the past 15 years.

The post of a formal coach of the Indian cricket team fell vacant early last year, when Duncan Fletcher's term ended.

The BCCI had received a total of 57 responses to its advertisement for the job, and 21 of them were shortlisted for the advisory committee to review.

The panel is slated to hand over its report to BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, and the final announcement is expected to be made by board chief Anurag Thakur on Friday during the body's annual general meeting in Dharamsala.

--IANS

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Sirshendu PanthBureau Chief, IANS, Kolkata.

Indo-Asian News Service