Kapil Dev-led ad-hoc panel to pick India coach, could divide COA again

The Committee of Administrators (COA) running Indian cricket 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 Kapil, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy had earlier appointed W V Raman as the Indian women's team coach in December.

One of the members confirmed to PTI that the BCCI has approached them to pick the men's head coach as well.

Back then, the COA was a two-member panel -- comprising chairman Vinod Rai and former India captain Diana Edulji, who had called the women's coach selection process unconstitutional.

She had asserted that only the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) was empowered to do so. 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.

The COA, however, is yet to take a call on the matter.

Dev and Ranagsawamy too fall in the ambit of conflict of interest as they have are also responsible for the formation of the players' association as per the new BCCI constitution.

The BCCI Tuesday invited applications for the men's team support staff, including head coach who will need to be less than 60 years of age with a minimum international experience of two years.

The application deadline for all the roles is July 30.

The current support staff comprising incumbent head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar were given a 45-day extension following the World Cup, covering the West Indies tour from August 3 to September 3.

All of them will get an automatic entry in the recruitment process.