BCCI appoints support staff for the Indian team

After another round of drama and speculations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the support staff of the Indian cricket team. Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vindo Rai made the appointments considering the recommendations made by the committee. The coaching unit led by Ravi Shastri will have Sanjay Bangar in the capacity of the assistant coach while Bharat Arun has been named, the full-time bowling coach. Their appointments similar to Shastri are until the World Cup 2019.

The BCCI met the coach in Mumbai today in the presence of CEO, Rahul Johri, acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, acting president CK Khanna, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian team and member of the CoA, Diana Deluge addressed the media.

“The BCCI has appointed Ravi Shastri as the head coach the board has also appointed Sanjay Bangar as assistant coach, Bharat Arun as bowling coach, Patrick Farhat physio, Shankar Basu trainer, R Sridhar will continue to be the fielding coach. All contracts will be in effect starting today and until the closure of the World Cup 2019,” Chaudhary said.

Dravid and Zaheer

When asked about the consultants Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan in the team and the confusion over their role in the team Shastri said, “I’ve spoken to both the individuals, as recent as three or four days ago and they are two fantastic cricketers of India. Their inputs will be invaluable. They will be on board once they have spoken to the authorities concerned.”

Shastri was also on point stating that after he was named the head coach he conveyed it to the BCCI that Bangar and Arun were the two he wanted to be a part of his core team. “I was clear the core team that I wanted and the names now announced are a part of my core team,” he stated.

Vinod Rai formed the committee after there was little clarity about the part Dravid and Zaheer were expected to take up. CK Khanna while announcing the coach based on the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and in the BCCI’s press release had stated that they duo will join the team in the capacity of batting and bowling coach respectively but then the layers emerged in the matter and they were soon termed consultants who would be available with the team on tour to tour basis.

When a reporter asked the BCCI if the ‘fiasco’ around Dravid and Zaheer’s appointments could’ve been handled better Chaudhary said, “In the first place, I’m absolutely clear in my view that it was not a fiasco. As Ravi [Shastri] explained, once he was announced he obviously had to think of his responsibilities that come with that appointment. And as he’s made so abundantly clear that he wanted his core team. The other two gentlemen he’s spoken to, they will be consultants and their contributions are going to be invaluable.”