With much speculation surrounding Anil Kumble’s future as Team India coach amidst rumours of rift with Virat Kohli, CoA chief Vinod Rai has confirmed that no change in the position will be made until the end of India – West Indies series.
According to various media reports, While several top names including that of Virender Sehwag’s and Tom Moody’s have applied for the job of Team India’s next coach, the cricket advisory committee (CAC) consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are tasked with finding a new coach for India but their first attempt expected to be keeping hold of the incumbent, Kumble.
Earlier on Thursday, acting BCCI president CK Khanna wrote a letter to secretary Amitabh Chaudhary urging him to defer the recruitment process until the end of the West Indies tour, which follows in right after the Champions Trophy.
“Coach selection has been entrusted to the CAC which selected Anil Kumble last year for a one-year contract. Now the process has to be followed. But since the process has been delayed, Kumble, subject to his accepting, will be there for the West Indies tour,” Rai told reporters after a meeting of the COA here.
“The CAC is meeting in London to decide upon the road ahead,” he added.
India will tour the West Indies for a five-ODI series starting June 23 followed by a lone Twenty20 match on July 9.
The COA, now a three-member panel after the controversial exit of historian Ramachandra Guha, had a day long meeting here.
Asked whether coach recruitment could have been handled better by the BCCI, Rai said the matter has been blown out of proportion with reports claiming a rift between captain Virat Kohi and Kumble.
“The fact is that it was a one year contract so a process was followed. I don’t know why is this controversy. I have spoken to both of them (Kohli and Kumble)and neither of them have confirmed what has come out,” he said.
The CAC — comprising Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly — is currently in London and is in touch with both the captain and the coach on the sidelines of the ongoing Champions Trophy.
The CAC, which is in favour of retaining Kumble, has sought more time ahead of the BCCI SGM on June 26.
