Sandeep Patil, the former India batsman and current chairman of selectors, has applied for the post of national head coach. Patil, who has headed the selectors’ panel since September 2012, confirmed the development with ESPNcricinfo.Patil’s term as chief selector is due to end in September. He previously worked as chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, and coached Kenya and Oman. Patil had earlier coached India as well, back in 1996, but his tenure was a forgettable one; he was replaced within six months.
He enjoyed more success with Kenya, though; he was in charge of the team when it made the World Cup semi-final in 2003. According to reports in the Indian media, he was one of four candidates shortlisted by the BCCI for the position of India coach in May 2005, but opted out citing his commitments with Oman.
Patil played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs between 1980 and 1986, and was a part of the World-Cup winning squad in 1983.
The BCCI had advertised for the coach’s job on June 1, setting the deadline to submit applications as June 10. The applicants will be screened and the list of names submitted to the soon-to-be-formed cricket advisory committee comprising reputed former players.
That committee will then submit a shortlist to the BCCI, which will likely discuss the names further, if not unveil the new coach, during its working committee meeting in Dharamsala on June 25.
The aim is to have the new support staff in place before India leave for their tour of the West Indies, which begins on July 6. A new addition in the support staff will be a chef, who has been appointed by the BCCI to cater to the vegetarians in the squad.
The contracts of the previous coaching staff – comprising team director Ravi Shastri, batting coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach B Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar – had expired after the World T20 in March.
Bangar, the former India allrounder, will coach the team in the interim, overseeing the squad in Zimbabwe in June. Abhay Sharma, who most recently worked with the India Under-19 and A teams, was named fielding coach for that tour.