Kapil asked to take charge of the camp

Chennai has yet again proved to be a happy hunting ground for the former Indian captain and coach Kapil Dev. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sent a formal letter to the Indian coach asking him to take charge of the Indian team probables at the preparatory camp in Chennai starting on September 14. This move has thereby put a temporary end to the speculations over retention of Kapil Dev as coach. A letter to this effect from the BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele was received by Kapil's office. Kapil has not responded to the offer.

Only on Sunday, BCCI president AC Muthiah in a press release which surprised many, had stated that Kapil might be asked to train the team. Muthiah also said that "the BCCI's stand that it will not take any action on players or administrators, unless thy were proved guilty, would remain." This was a clear indication of what was to come next.

Though Kapil has been retained, this can be only be seen as a temporary measure, for in the forthcoming AGM at Chennai on September 29-30, one can expect a new name for the post. A few names have been circulating around for sometime including that of New Zealand's John Wright and Australia's Geoff Marsh and Greg Chappell. A confirmation was also given by the BCCI president in Sharjah last week. In an interview to a Dubai-based newspaper Muthiah said "We are looking for a foreign coach. Three names are seriously under consideration."

With no response from Kapil, the drama is far from over yet. The scene is set for Kapil Dev's stage show for him to accept the offer or not. After all, he was also kept waiting by the Board. But how Kapil managed a turnaround after having his back to the wall in this entire episode must go down as another of Kapil's many fighting innings though on an entirely different turf. Well, Tuesday might turn out to be another interesting day in this issue of coach versus the board as one waits for Kapil's reply.