BCCI extends deadline for head coach application to July 9

In a press release on Friday, BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary has clarified that those candidates who had already applied by the initial May 31 deadline need not re-apply. Apart from Kumble, those who had sent in their applications by the original deadline were Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus, Lalchand Rajput, and Doddanarasiah Ganesh. The candidates will be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman.

This move by the BCCI might have come possibly due to the fact that not too many people would have originally applied once it was made clear that Kumble was an automatic entrant into the process and therefore, he was supposed to be the front-runner for the post. 

The CAC, though, had recommended last week that Kumble, whose initial one-year term was to end on June 20, be given a direct extension for two more years, culminating in the 2019 World Cup. But Kumble stepped down from the position, stating that Virat Kohli had expressed “reservations” over his “style” of functioning. 

Currently, India are participating in a five-match One-Day International series against Windies in the Caribbean, and the series will be followed by a solitary Twenty20 International match between the two teams. Although the team is without a head coach now, the CAC will get sufficient time on their hands to choose a new coach before India’s scheduled tour to Sri Lanka (starting July 19) that includes three Tests, five ODIs and one T20I.