BCCI invites fresh applications for India coach role

In the wake of Anil Kumble's withdrawal from the race, the BCCI has decided to invite fresh applications to pick India's next head coach. The advertisement is likely to be out on Saturday. The new candidates will join the five already shortlisted candidates comprising Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Dodda Ganesh. The last date for submission of applications has been extended to July 9.

The final shortlist will be then sent to the three-man cricket advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, who will conduct interviews before sending their final choice to the BCCI. It is understood that the BCCI would ideally want the new coach to be in place in time for India's tour of Sri Lanka, which his likely to start from July 19. But if the CAC is unable to make a choice by then, the BCCI is willing to wait longer.

According to a BCCI official the main reason behind inviting fresh applications was the thought that a number of eligible candidates may not have applied since Kumble himself had re-applied for the post when the BCCI opened the process on May 25. Kumble, who had been recommended and finalised as the best choice last year by the CAC, enjoyed a highly successful run in his one-year term.

He was once again the favourite from the six-man shortlist and the CAC endorsed his name to the BCCI subject to the widening rift between Kumble and Indian captain Virat Kohli being resolved. The CAC members met Kohli individually to ascertain the differences he had with Kumble's style of coaching. The CAC conveyed to the BCCI that, in the best interest of Indian cricket, the differences needed to be sorted out before moving forward.

The BCCI top brass - Amitabh Choudhary (secretary), Rahul Johri (CEO) and MV Sridhar (manager, cricket operations) - met Kohli and Kumble separately as well as together. Despite multiple meetings no solution was in sight. Kohli maintained his stance during his last meeting with the BCCI before heading to the Caribbean on Monday. Kumble, too, met the BCCI trio on the same day and felt he was not at fault. Kumble tendered his resignation the next morning and posted on Twitter that he had decided to step down since the "partnership" with Kohli had become "untenable".