Raman to continue as Tamil Nadu coach

WV Raman, the former Indian batsman, has been retained as coach of Tamil Nadu for the next two seasons. Top officials in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) have expressed satisfaction with Raman's work over the 2007-08 season, after he took over an inexperienced team hit hard by an exodus to Indian Cricket League.

Raman had been offered the coach's position at Bengal as well, but he had informed the TNCA that Tamil Nadu would be his first priority.

Tamil Nadu finished sixth in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A with one win, four draws and two defeats. The TNCA has also, for the first time, expanded the coaching staff by appointing the former allrounder D Gokulakrishnan as the assistant coach and TS Mohan as the fielding coach. The move was primarily to ease the burden on Raman.

"Raman is dedicated to cricket," N Srinivasan, the TNCA president, told the Hindu. "And he is dedicated to Tamil Nadu. We have decided to continue with him."

The association added that Raman will no longer be a part of the selection panel he chaired for the last two years. Former Tamil Nadu batsman R Madhavan will take over as chairman while M Senthilnathan, also a former Tamil Nadu player, has been drafted into the panel.

"There was too much load on Raman and there was a need to reduce some of it," KS Viswanathan, the TNCA secretary, told the paper. "We believe we have done that. We have a good system in place and the results should start coming. We have lost several players over the last two years due to retirement and the ICL. We are happy with the effort Raman has put in."