Shastri set for longer stint with India

Ravi Shastri is set to continue at the helm of the Indian team's support staff for a longer duration. He is likely to be handed a two-year contract by the BCCI before India's next assignment, a limited-overs series in Zimbabwe next month.

Shastri, who had been hurriedly roped in as team director midway through last year's tour of England till the World Cup, is at the moment appointed as team director only for the ongoing tour of Bangladesh. It is understood that the BCCI and Shastri have agreed for the same arrangement to continue for the next two years. It could not be ascertained if Shastri would be appointed as the head coach or team director.

Irrespective of the designation, he would continue to be responsible for team operations, with three assistant coaches continuing to aid him. It is understood that Shastri and the BCCI hierarchy have agreed on the terms of his contract, which is likely to be formalised before India's departure to Zimbabwe on July 7.

Over the last few weeks leading up to the Bangladesh tour, Shastri has more than once hinted at staying for a longer duration. While he told ESPNcricinfo in an interview last week he wasn't thinking beyond Bangladesh, prior to the team's departure to Dhaka from Kolkata, he said: "I might be there much longer than what you think."

The BCCI has not finalised on the head coach or team director ever since the conclusion of the World Cup in March. The delay is understood to be partly because of the confusion between Shastri and Sourav Ganguly as the preferred choice. While Ganguly was also interested in a similar role as Shastri, the board president Jagmohan Dalmiya is understood to have advised Ganguly to take up a post in the cricket advisory committee instead.

If Ganguly had to be given a full-time role, his honorary role as joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal would have been questioned. And with age catching up with Dalmiya, he would have found it difficult to control CAB affairs without Ganguly at his disposal.

Since the conundrum was not getting resolved during the IPL, the BCCI had also considered Australian Tom Moody and New Zealand veteran Daniel Vettori for the job. But once Ganguly opted out of the race, Shastri was the clear favourite, with new Test skipper Virat Kohil having built a solid rapport with him.

According to a BCCI insider, besides remuneration, Shastri took his time to ensure that there will be no interference in day-to-day affairs from any of the cricket advisory committee members. According to Hindustan Times, Shastri will be paid Rs seven crore (approx $1.15 million) per year, though the figure could not be independently verified.

With Shastri's appointment all but certain, it will be interesting to see if the three assistant coaches will continue in their respective roles. While Shastri would push for the triumvirate of Sanjay Bangar (batting), B Arun (bowling) and R Sridhar (fielding) to continue, it is understood that the BCCI is not keen on continuing the association of one of them.