Will Rahul Dravid still be India’s head coach after the T20 World Cup? As cricket board secretary Jay Shah has said, Dravid will have to re-apply if he wants the job again. His current tenure ends in June.
On Monday, the BCCI invited applications for the position of head coach of the Indian senior men’s cricket team, with the deadline set at 6 pm on May 27. “The selection process will include a thorough review of applications, followed by personal interviews and assessments of shortlisted candidates,” said the cricket board press release.
The applicants must have played at least 30 Tests or 50 ODIs, or they must have the experience of serving as the head coach of a Full Member nation for a minimum of two years. Those with the experience of serving as a head coach of an Associate Member nation/IPL team or equivalent international league/first class teams/ national ‘A’ teams for a minimum of three years can apply as well. Or, the applicants should have the BCCI Level 3 certification or equivalent. Applicants should be below 60 years of age. The term for the new head coach would be from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027.
Dravid, who took charge in November 2021, was handed a short-term extension until the T20 World Cup. Under him India played the World Test Championship final and the 50-over World Cup final. But an ICC trophy so far has remained elusive.
Shah has made it clear that there won’t be different coaches for different formats. “There’s no precedent of different coaches for different formats in Indian cricket. Besides, we have a number of players who are all-format players. There are many common players across formats such as Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma,” he told reporters a few days ago, adding: “Ultimately, this is the Cricket Advisory Committee’s (CAC) call. I have to implement what they decide.”
The BCCI secretary didn’t rule out appointing a foreign coach. “If the CAC selects a foreign coach, I can’t interfere.”
The CAC has Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe and Sulakshana Naik as its members.