Nitin Patel likely to be appointed India's physio

Mumbai Indians' physiotherapist Nitin Patel is likely to be appointed to the Indian team for the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in June. The BCCI has also decided to appoint Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as the bowling and fielding coaches respectively until the Asia Cup on an ad-hoc basis.

Prasad, who is also the bowling coach with the Bangalore franchise, confirmed his appointment to Cricinfo. "The BCCI told me they were appointing me as the bowling coach for the Bangladesh tri-series and the Asia Cup after which they will negotiate a contract," Prasad said. Both his and Robin's contracts expired on May 30.

A BCCI official told Cricinfo that Patel was close to signing his papers, and if that happens he will replace Paul Close, who was a stop-gap physio for the home Test series against South Africa earlier this year.

Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, neither confirmed nor denied the news.

Patel has already worked with the Indian team, when he replaced John Gloster during the tour of England in 2007. Gloster had fractured his elbow during a fielding session and had to undergo surgery, so Patel continued as the physio for the remainder of the series. The team was impressed by Patel's performance and a BCCI official pointed out that even Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's one-day captain, was happy with his work. Before going to England, Patel was the physio with the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for three years.

The BCCI had to fill the positions of physiotherapist and physical trainer after the simultaneous exits of John Gloster and Gregory King after the CB Series in Australia. Close, who was appointed as the National Cricket Academy physio, was asked to fill the vacancy temporarily but it has been learnt that he injured his Achilles tendon and had to undergo surgery recently.

Andrew Leipus, the former physio of the Indian team, and Ewan Speechley, a renowned South African physio who was with Bangalore Royal Challengers, were the other names discussed by the BCCI. Leipus came close to taking up the offer but he might be heading to the ICC's headquarters in Dubai.