Dav Whatmore among the 57 applicants for India coach role

In somewhat of a déjà vu, former Zimbabwe, and Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has reapplied for the role of Head coach for the Indian cricket team as reported by Sport 360. Whatmore’s tryst with Indian cricket began in 2007 when he had applied for the position of the head coach. However, the job went to Gary Kirsten as Whatmore was appointed as the director of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

A year later, Whatmore was appointed coach of the India U19 team that clinched the World Cup under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

This comes amid reports of almost 57 applicants for the vacant role of the Indian coaching job. Ravi Shastri, the former team director, Sandeep Patil and Vikram Rathour, members of the current selection committee, Pravin Amre, Venkatesh Prasad, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Surendra Bhave and Hrishikesh Kanitkar are among those interested in the assignment.

“The primary scrutiny of the applications received is now being carried out by the Office of the Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, with regards to the applicants, meeting the set eligibility criteria,” the board said. “After this initial scrutiny, the list of candidates who meet the criteria will be processed for further consideration.”

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“More than Hindi, English, one who understands our culture and our upbringing, the one who understands these sort of things, he will always be better with us,” he had said. “In the past, too, these things have been important, and the coaches who have understood us better, it has made a difference at the ground level.”

Reports suggest that the new coach will be announced prior to the tour of the West Indies later in July. At the moment, former India and Railways all-rounder Sanjay Bangar is serving as the coach on an interim basis.