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[poondu]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/296291.html

Selection will go down to the wire with players pushing for foreign coach

India continues coach hunt

Anand Vasu

May 29, 2007


Who will be India's next coach is very much an open question. When the seven-member committee formed to tackle this very issue meets on June 4, it is likely to be faced with two conflicting opinions: the current players would like the job to go to a foreigner, whereas a campaign, championed by no less than Sunil Gavaskar, a member of the committee himself, is building up from former cricketers to appoint an Indian.

In a significant development, four senior members of the Indian team, Rahul Dravid, the captain, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, are learnt to have met Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, and conveyed their wish to be coached by a foreigner. The meeting took place during India's tour of Bangladesh.

There is precedence of the players' views playing a decisive role in the appointment of the coach. John Wright, who was appointed India's first foreign coach in 2000, was recommended by Rahul Dravid, who had played under Wright for Kent in the County Championship in England and when Wright's contract came up for renewal, he was publicly backed by Tendulkar and Ganguly. And in 2005, when there was a clamour for a homegrown coach, the job went to Greg Chappell, whose candidature was supported by, ironically, Ganguly.

This time too, the opinions are divided. Though Dav Whatmore, with whom some of the BCCI officials have had informal talks, has emerged as a strong candidate, the final decision is yet to be taken. And lobbying for an Indian coach has begun, with Gavaskar and Kapil Dev leading rally.

Gavaskar, writing in his column in the Mumbai tabloid Mid Day, has made some thinly-veiled attacks on Whatmore, who is believed to be the frontrunner. Writing after the second Test against India, Gavaskar pointed to the "lack of cricketing acumen" in the Bangladesh camp following their decision to bat first.

"It's here that Bangladesh suffered the most, for even allowing for the fact that Habibul Bashar is not the wiliest of skippers, it was clear that he had little help, and if anything, the lack of tactical input was exposed by the decision to field first in the last Test as well as that of not trying for a win in the first Test when the target was achievable with some bold batting."

Kapil Dev, was even more direct. "Who is Whatmore," he thundered in an interview in the Telegraph, the Kolkata based daily. "Why do we need to talk about Whatmore? Or, for that matter, anybody not associated with our team at this point in time. In my opinion, when Ravi (Shastri) isn't available after Bangladesh, the Board should give the coach's powers to Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, both of whom have played international cricket and are currently working with the boys."

Kapil, who is director of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, has already made his preferences clear by appointing Rajinder Goel, Sarkar Talwar and Rajinder Pal, to instruct the trainees.

Interestingly, while the focus has been solely on Whatmore, the name of Graham Ford has suddenly begun to do the rounds as a contender. Ford, who prefers to be low-key, had successful stints with South Africa, Natal and Kent, and could be a good man for the job. However, it is unclear whether the board has even got in touch with Ford to check on his availability or interest. From all indications the board is waiting till the meeting in Bangalore on June 4, set to begin sometime in the evening, to make its moves.

[ruchir]

Kapil Dev, was even more direct. "Who is Whatmore," he thundered in an interview in the Telegraph, the Kolkata based daily. "Why do we need to talk about Whatmore? Or, for that matter, anybody not associated with our team at this point in time. In my opinion, when Ravi (Shastri) isn't available after Bangladesh, the Board should give the coach's powers to Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, both of whom have played international cricket and are currently working with the boys."

Bold Red -- Might is be the right time to jog Paaji's memory and whisper to him (since he is thundering) that Whatmore was SL coach when they won the WC1996. More recently, Whatmore was BD coach when they defeated us in WC07. BD team has visibly improved under Whatmore.


Bold Blue -- So what Paaji is wanting is that we should have 2 coaches, instead of one. Now, how will these 2 coaches work together? Who will have the upper hand? Will they agree on everything? What if they disagree? Then who will have the upper hand? In case of a disagreement, will Paaji be called to cast the deciding vote? Is having 2 coaches the right way to go? Only if Paaji had elaborated on what he wanted to say ......

[gouravk]

Also might be useful to remind him of the glorious results he achieved in his thankfully short stint as coach.

[fineleg]

Also might be useful to remind him of the glorious results he achieved in his thankfully short stint as coach.

Good one 

[toney]

Also might be useful to remind him of the glorious results he achieved in his thankfully short stint as coach.

That should have nothing to do with voicing his opinion in this case.

[Jai]

The most surprising thing is that other than DW, nobody has contacted BCCI or shown interest. This has been confirmed by Niranjan Shah as per today's The Telegraph India report. Pakistan has shortlisted at least five foreign candidates, including former WI players Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams. They may not be great coaches, but at least they probably applied and have been shortlisted. With Woolmer's death under mysterious circumstances and GC resigning after the WC, one would have thought that more foreign coaches will be interested in coaching India than Pakistan. June 4th is barely a week away. I don't know how BCCI is going about the whole thing. Have they advertised for this job or are they expecting all the candidates to make a beeline outside their office? I am sure they are not exactly sitting idle, they are probably trying to squeeze in a few more ODIs in between two upcoming series.

[LosingNow]

June 4th is barely a week away. I don't know how BCCI is going about the whole thing. Have they advertised for this job or are they expecting all the candidates to make a beeline outside their office?

the mission is super-secret .. even BCCI does not know

[undercover]

This Vasu is smoking off through BCCI’s own proverbial crack pipe.

BCCI already decided on DW.  Earlier it was decided to give him 2 years contract.... now I think they are reducing it to 1 year because of all the noise from SMG, KD and the like...

When there is Sharad Pawar what SMG can do

[m]

Whoever is the coach of IND will have a tough time for the next one year ..with away series against Eng,Aus and Pak... Not sure if we will win any tests (forget series wins..)

[ruchir]

This Vasu is smoking off through BCCI’s own proverbial crack pipe.

Let me understand the anatomy of this. So, the proverbial pipe is in BCCI's crack, and Vasu is smoking it? What will he do next? Blow the proverbial crack pipe?

[indcric]

Interestingly, while the focus has been solely on Whatmore, the name of Graham Ford has suddenly begun to do the rounds as a contender. Ford, who prefers to be low-key, had successful stints with South Africa, Natal and Kent, and could be a good man for the job. However, it is unclear whether the board has even got in touch with Ford to check on his availability or interest.

Nobody is taking this part of the article seriously? I just checked cricinfo profile Graham Ford and also looked at detailed scorecards of SA series under him. They won 9 series out of 11 series in that period. Expectedly, both series are against Australia. But more importantly, they won over SL in SL & Ind in Ind, which is amazing for a non-subcontinental side.

This is his profile on cricinfo. Looks like he is a very high profile coach in Country circuit.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/45086.html

This is the summary:
Unassuming and determinedly low key, Graham Ford ascended gradually to the position of South African coach, by-passing several bigger and more familiar names along the way. A competent all-round sportsman, Ford is a former provincial tennis champion, has provincial colours for football and is a qualified rugby union referee to go with his cricketing credentials. As a player, Ford had an eight-year first-class career in the Natal B team during the 1980s, but as a coach he moved steadily through the ranks, from the University of the Natal team, through the Natal Colts side to become senior Natal coach in 1992. He was the first to admit that he was fortunate with Natal in having Malcolm Marshall and Clive Rice on hand to help him guide a crop of outstanding young players which included Shaun Pollock, Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Neil Johnson, Dale Benkenstein and Errol Stewart. At the same time, his personalised approach proved not only popular, but effective as Natal astounded South Africa in the 1996-97 season by winning the domestic first-class and one-day competitions. He had already had a go at coaching the South African A team and in 1998 took the A side on tour to Sri Lanka. At the beginning of 1999, Ford was appointed assistant to Bob Woolmer in New Zealand, a role he carried through to the 1999 World Cup, before taking over the senior position when Woolmer's contract ran out after the World Cup. In his time, they won nine of the 11 series under his guidance.. The Hansiegate Affair, however, has massively disrupted the South African side, and Ford was fired in 2001. Many believed he unfairly paid the price for internal power games within South African cricket. He moved to Kent as director of cricket in 2004, and while there oversaw an influx of South African players to the county. In 2006 he returned home to take charge of the Dolphins.

[RicePlateReddy]

Wasn't it Narayana Murthy who said it best -- select the best coach available, don't bother about nationality. Who better to embody that message than NRN?

The way Gavaskar and Kapil are behaving (if reports are indeed accurate) indicates myopia at best, and racism at worst. We want Indians to never be discriminated against (ref Gavaskar) but don't feel confident enough to employ the best coach and set aside misplaced national pride.

India should poach a quiet-get-the-business-done guy from a top Australian state side with a winning record. I'm gonna start another thread about the little known Australian state coaches.

[Libran]

Kapil Dev, was even more direct. "Who is Whatmore," he thundered in an interview in the Telegraph, the Kolkata based daily. "Why do we need to talk about Whatmore? Or, for that matter, anybody not associated with our team at this point in time. In my opinion, when Ravi (Shastri) isn't available after Bangladesh, the Board should give the coach's powers to Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, both of whom have played international cricket and are currently working with the boys."

Bold Red -- Might is be the right time to jog Paaji's memory and whisper to him (since he is thundering) that Whatmore was SL coach when they won the WC1996. More recently, Whatmore was BD coach when they defeated us in WC07. BD team has visibly improved under Whatmore.

And to jog Ruchir's memory a bit...This Kapil Paaji as we fondly call him is the same man who won the only WC for us w/o a full time Coach..It is the same man who scored a scintillating 175 when we were struggling at 17 - 5 against Zimbabwe...the same Kapil Paaji who tied a kerchief around his thigh muscle and bowled out Australia for 85 in a famous victory in Melbourne...the same man who walked out in running temperature to take India to safety in a Test match..the same Kapil who scored three consecutive sixers to help India avoid a follow-on...and many more instances which we can all recall

And if he does not have the qualifications to ask "Who,What, Why etc.,"...nobody can

[RicePlateReddy]

And to jog Ruchir's memory a bit...This Kapil Paaji as we fondly call him is the same man who won the only WC for us w/o a full time Coach.

None of the teams then had a coach. Does that mean a coach is useless now? The better teams devote a lot of energy, time and attention to a coach these days. Buchanan was hugely praised by the Aussies when they won. It seems to work for the best team(s) and so is worth seriously considering at least.

It is the same man who scored a scintillating 175 when we were struggling at 17 - 5 against Zimbabwe...the same Kapil Paaji who tied a kerchief around his thigh muscle and bowled out Australia for 85 in a famous victory in Melbourne...the same man who walked out in running temperature to take India to safety in a Test match..the same Kapil who scored three consecutive sixers to help India avoid a follow-on...and many more instances which we can all recall

No one questioned his cricketing greatness as a player. As a captain he notoriously miscalculated the number of overs and set in motion Pakistani dominance that haunted us for years. In spite of WC 1983, no one regards him as our greatest captain even. As coach he was a disappointment. He has no real experience guiding sides to a win when not playing.

And if he does not have the qualifications to ask "Who,What, Why etc.,"...nobody can

He can ask what he wants and surely has the stature to. It doesn't mean he is right though, even if his criticism hails from quarters that have never represented the country.

[fineleg]

BRILLIANT RESPONSES, KoP 

Kapil Dev is off a tangent!

[Libran]

And to jog Ruchir's memory a bit...This Kapil Paaji as we fondly call him is the same man who won the only WC for us w/o a full time Coach.

None of the teams then had a coach. Does that mean a coach is useless now? The better teams devote a lot of energy, time and attention to a coach these days. Buchanan was hugely praised by the Aussies when they won. It seems to work for the best team(s) and so is worth seriously considering at least.

It is the same man who scored a scintillating 175 when we were struggling at 17 - 5 against Zimbabwe...the same Kapil Paaji who tied a kerchief around his thigh muscle and bowled out Australia for 85 in a famous victory in Melbourne...the same man who walked out in running temperature to take India to safety in a Test match..the same Kapil who scored three consecutive sixers to help India avoid a follow-on...and many more instances which we can all recall

No one questioned his cricketing greatness as a player. As a captain he notoriously miscalculated the number of overs and set in motion Pakistani dominance that haunted us for years. In spite of WC 1983, no one regards him as our greatest captain even. As coach he was a disappointment. He has no real experience guiding sides to a win when not playing.

And if he does not have the qualifications to ask "Who,What, Why etc.,"...nobody can

He can ask what he wants and surely has the stature to. It doesn't mean he is right though, even if his criticism hails from quarters that have never represented the country.

Did Kapil have anything against JW when he was the Coach??

He has been speaking his mind on this issue since the GC episodes happened. And he has been consistent in his utterances....And is it right to bring in his coaching credentials just because he does not want Whatmore?

And are we (even in hindsight) willing to accept his criticism of GC and his methods...or would we still question it on the premise "How can one unsuccessful Coach talk about the other" ??

[pieterSAN]

Did Kapil have anything against JW when he was the Coach??

He has been speaking his mind on this issue since the GC episodes happened. And he has been consistent in his utterances....And is it right to bring in his coaching credentials just because he does not want Whatmore?

And are we willing to accept his criticism of GC and his methods...or would we still question it on the premise "How can one unsuccessful Coach talk about the other" ??

As far as I can see he does not really criticize Greg Chappell in this interview. He does not exactly criticize Whatmore...because that would be tricky - it would involve looking at this track record and finding that there is little that can be criticized. Instead he resorts to "intimidating" questions like "Who is Whatmore?"

In my opinion these questions make him look very silly and uninformed.

[Libran]

Did Kapil have anything against JW when he was the Coach??

He has been speaking his mind on this issue since the GC episodes happened. And he has been consistent in his utterances....And is it right to bring in his coaching credentials just because he does not want Whatmore?

And are we willing to accept his criticism of GC and his methods...or would we still question it on the premise "How can one unsuccessful Coach talk about the other" ??

As far as I can see he does not really criticize Greg Chappell in this interview. He does not exactly criticize Whatmore...because that would be tricky - it would involve looking at this track record and finding that there is little that can be criticized. Instead he resorts to "intimidating" questions like "Who is Whatmore?"

In my opinion these questions make him look very silly and uninformed.

And you really believe  he "thundered" 

[pieterSAN]

Did Kapil have anything against JW when he was the Coach??

He has been speaking his mind on this issue since the GC episodes happened. And he has been consistent in his utterances....And is it right to bring in his coaching credentials just because he does not want Whatmore?

And are we willing to accept his criticism of GC and his methods...or would we still question it on the premise "How can one unsuccessful Coach talk about the other" ??

As far as I can see he does not really criticize Greg Chappell in this interview. He does not exactly criticize Whatmore...because that would be tricky - it would involve looking at this track record and finding that there is little that can be criticized. Instead he resorts to "intimidating" questions like "Who is Whatmore?"

In my opinion these questions make him look very silly and uninformed.

And you really believe  he "thundered" 

I can imagine him "thundering", yes, but I don't really care. "Who is Whatmore?" is clearly an insult.

On another note, which parts of the article should I believe?

[poondu]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/295928.html

The hunt for India's new coach

Madness in the method

Anand Vasu

May 27, 2007

 
More than six weeks after Greg Chappell announced his decision not to seek an extension to his contract as India coach, the search by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for his successor finally seems to have ended at the doors of Dav Whatmore. Whether that is indeed the case or not is a different matter but what the BCCI will find it hard to defend is the process it has followed - rather, the lack of it.

For the record, the BCCI's officials have denied media reports that Whatmore, currently coaching Bangladesh, had already been zeroed in as the man for the job. Ratnakar Shetty, the chief administrative officer, was sharp in his reaction to the reports: "There is an official meeting on June 4th; as far as we are concerned the coach will be selected then. If the media wants to write whatever it wants before that the BCCI can't keep denying or confirming everything."

Niranjan Shah, the secretary, was equally adamant in his denial but far more revealing in the progress made so far. Asked if it was a fait accompli that Whatmore would get the job, he said: "A committee has been appointed to select the next coach. The committee has not even met yet."

What neither could explain, though, was why the board had gone about the process of selecting the next coach as it had. First, the board did not advertise for the post. This meant that there was little chance for it to even ascertain who was interested in the job. Secondly, a number of suitable candidates available six weeks ago have since ruled themselves out, one way or the other. Tom Moody has gone to Western Australia, John Wright has accepted a post at the Australian Cricket Academy - and it's a fact that the BCCI did not even approach him to check if he was interested in taking up the job he did for five years.

The board insists that its committee will meet on June 4 and then decide on the next course of action. With India leaving for the one-dayers in Ireland soon after, it's hard to see how they will have time to draw up a short-list, call candidates for interviews and then select one.

In the first place, speaking to members of the board, the impression one gets is that they themselves don't know what sort of coach they want. The focus seems to be on personalities, rather than on the profile of the ideal coach. Some of the most successful coaches in the modern era - Whatmore, Wright, Moody, to name a few - have graduated from coaching county teams in England. If the board wanted to go in that direction and find someone from there, it would have needed to do some serious research, canvas opinion, form an impression. That clearly has not been done. Whatmore himself has emerged as the lone candidate for the job not because the board specifically sought him out, but because he announced his interest, loud and clear, more than once, to the media and to the board.

Even the appointments made so far - those of Venkatesh Prasad as bowling coach and Robin Singh as fielding coach - followed requests from Rahul Dravid, the captain. If whispers are true these men will get longer terms, and moves are afoot to bring Gundappa Viswanath in as batting coach.

 
While Whatmore, who sees himself as something of a subcontinent specialist, might well be a good choice for the job, some questions remain. Although Whatmore's ambition to take up the most challenging job in international coaching is admirable, it's also a fact that he has been coaching in the subcontinent for almost 13 years now. John Buchanan only had enough gas in the tank for eight years, despite being in charge of a highly successful team in a set-up designed to provide a coach with as much support as possible. Duncan Fletcher could only put in seven years with England.

If you give the board the benefit of doubt, and assume they have indeed not yet decided on Whatmore for the job, you have to ask what exactly they're waiting for before getting the job done. If they have made up their minds on Whatmore, then it begs the question, why must everyone endure a farce of a meeting in Bangalore?

Anand Vasu is associate editor of Cricinfo

[ruchir]

Kapil Dev, was even more direct. "Who is Whatmore," he thundered in an interview in the Telegraph, the Kolkata based daily. "Why do we need to talk about Whatmore? Or, for that matter, anybody not associated with our team at this point in time. In my opinion, when Ravi (Shastri) isn't available after Bangladesh, the Board should give the coach's powers to Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, both of whom have played international cricket and are currently working with the boys."

Bold Red -- Might is be the right time to jog Paaji's memory and whisper to him (since he is thundering) that Whatmore was SL coach when they won the WC1996. More recently, Whatmore was BD coach when they defeated us in WC07. BD team has visibly improved under Whatmore.

And to jog Ruchir's memory a bit...This Kapil Paaji as we fondly call him is the same man who won the only WC for us w/o a full time Coach..It is the same man who scored a scintillating 175 when we were struggling at 17 - 5 against Zimbabwe...the same Kapil Paaji who tied a kerchief around his thigh muscle and bowled out Australia for 85 in a famous victory in Melbourne...the same man who walked out in running temperature to take India to safety in a Test match..the same Kapil who scored three consecutive sixers to help India avoid a follow-on...and many more instances which we can all recall

And if he does not have the qualifications to ask "Who,What, Why etc.,"...nobody can

 

*huff*  *puff*   *huff*

Just came back from a good job in the Memory Lane. I checked every house of the successful coach on that lane, but could not find Paaji name anywhere. Maybe I missed a house or two. Also, I found a wise man, Ruchir Joshi. He told me that being a good player does not mean you can be a good coach too. In that regards, Ruchir Joshi gave me the direction of another road called Failure Avenue. As I jogged there, the first house I looked at, had Paaji's name on it.

Coming out of Failure Avenue, I found another wise man, RJo. He told me that being a good bowler does not mean that you can help other bowlers become better. It's all about how well you can communicate. He gave the the directions of another road called Rolls Royce Blvd. As I entered Rolls Royce Blvd, I saw a sign board that said "Paaji was a great bowler, but he could not help any single indian bowler become better. He could not do so when he was the coach. He did not take up any assignment anytime else, where he could have any effect on budding bowlers, or those in the national side. This concludes that Paaji is all bark, no bite. --Paid for by CV foundation."

Coming out of Rolls Royce Blvd, I met the wise man Ruchir Joshi again. This time he directed me to another road called Heroes Circle. As I jogged there, I saw many houses. First was of Kumble, who bowled with a broken jaw and took out Lara. Then it was Sachin's house, who batted with an injured back, clamped in back-braces, and nearly took India to victory against PAK. Before that, he had braved a bloody nose as a teenager, against Waqar. Then it was Dhoni's house, who recently batted even though he could not walk, and took the team to victory. Then it was Jaffer's house, who was vomitting on the ground but stayed on. Then it was Sunny G's house, who had batter in high fever to save the game for his country. At the end, there was a sign which said "Being brave on the field is an individual thing. It does not make the person a good coach. Bravery can not be taught, it comes from within. Cricket can be taught. To be a good coach, you have to be a good teacher, not neccesarily a brave one. --Paid for by CV foundation."

Then, I was jogging back home, when I suddenly heard a loud "thunder". I looked up and saw black clouds gathering in the sky. Suddenly the changed and became Paaji's face. That face opened it's mouth and it began to rain heavily.

[RicePlateReddy]

Then it was Sunny G's house, who had batter in high fever to save the game for his country.

Are you sure this is why he was allotted a bungalow on that road? I thought he played Marshall without abdomen guards also.  That also made him eligible for a flat on Infertility Drive which he declined. Rumors are that Bhajji is jostling for that flat now.

[ruchir]

Then it was Sunny G's house, who had batter in high fever to save the game for his country.

Are you sure this is why he was allotted a bungalow on that road? I thought he played Marshall without abdomen guards also.  That also made him eligible for a flat on Infertility Drive which he declined. Rumors are that Bhajji is jostling for that flat now.

Playing Marshall w/o guard was not a sign of bravery. It was a sign of foolishness. Having said that, are you saying that Bhajji is infertile because he is a sardar?

[toney]

Then it was Sunny G's house, who had batter in high fever to save the game for his country.

Are you sure this is why he was allotted a bungalow on that road? I thought he played Marshall without abdomen guards also.  That also made him eligible for a flat on Infertility Drive which he declined. Rumors are that Bhajji is jostling for that flat now.

Is it allowed in cricket to play with 2 bats and 3 balls at the same time?

[ruchir]

Good Question.

[Jai]

I remember very clealry that when we had picked our last coach, we followed a proper interview process. BCCI had shortlisted 5 candidates - GC, Moody, Jimmy, Haynes and Patil, but Patil withdrew his name before the D-day. GC was highly impressive with his PP presentation while Moody failed to impress and Jimmy had brought his BIL to operate the laptop !!! What's going to happen this time? Are they even inviting DW for an interview or are they just going to meet, discuss the names (probably the only name) and then reach a decision? Btw, Madan Lal is interested, but won't approach BCCI. 

[Cover Point]

I remember very clealry that when we had picked our last coach, we followed a proper interview process. BCCI had shortlisted 5 candidates - GC, Moody, Jimmy, Haynes and Patil, but Patil withdrew his name before the D-day. GC was highly impressive with his PP presentation while Moody failed to impress and Jimmy had brought his BIL to operate the laptop !!! What's going to happen this time? Are they even inviting DW for an interview or are they just going to meet, discuss the names (probably the only name) and then reach a decision? Btw, Madan Lal is interested, but won't approach BCCI. 

Actually I am interested too but wont approach BCCI. And unlike maddi, I have a recent 50 to back me up! Come to think of it, I could be the opening batsman AND coach of the team!

[kban1]

Competition?

We’re not sure the board is even looking past Dav, but Madan Lal throws his hat into the ring anyway

Amlan Chakraborty / PTI
 
 
New Delhi: Former all-rounder Madan Lal yesterday threw his hat in the fray, saying he is ready for a second stint as the Team India coach even though Dav Whatmore seems to have already pocketed the job.

“I would definitely love to coach India if I am offered the job. I have done it in the past and would love to have another go at it,” Madan Lal said.

Since Greg Chappell opted against an extension of his contract that ended with India’s disastrous World Cup campaign, BCCI made a makeshift arrangement by roping in Ravi Shastri as the cricket manager for the just-concluded Bangladesh tour.

The Board also formed a seven-member committee, headed by its president Sharad Pawar, which will meet in Bangalore on June 4 to pick the new coach and the panel includes three former captains in Sunil Gavaskar, S Venkataraghavan and Shastri.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah recently met Whatmore during the Bangladesh series and Shastri too had an informal chat with the Sri Lanka-born Australian, whose contract with the Bangladesh team expired with the series against India.

Done deal, it seems

Madan, who coached India from 1996-97, admitted Whatmore had emerged the front-runner in the race for the job.

“It seems the board has already decided on the issue,” he observed. Madan, however, insisted that he will not approach the board with his candidature.

 
Madan Lal
“I am not going to approach the board. In fact, I don’t have any idea how to go about it. So if they come with the offer, I would definitely extend my service,” said Madan, part of the ‘Kapil’s Devils’ that won the 1983 World Cup.

Although Whatmore is the overwhelming favourite for the job, some believe that an Indian might do the better job. Madan, however, refused to be dragged into the Indian versus foreigner debate and said the job should go to the right person.

He also felt that even if Whatmore gets the nod, it’s not going to be a bed of roses for the burly, mustachioed coach.
“He has worked with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and had some success with both the sides. But coaching India would be a different ball altogether. You have to deal with a different system here. Handling star players and living up to the expectation of India’s highly emotional fans would be a daunting task,” he explained.

“Agreed that he has earned his stripes as a coach in the sub-continent. But whether the experience will prove an advantage -- you have to wait and see,” he added. 

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=59&contentid=200705300225253126c02b199

[kban1]

Dav lone candidate to approach us: Shah

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
 

Darjeeling: With D-Day (or rather C-Day) getting closer by the hour, Board secretary Niranjan Shah has confirmed that Australian Dav Whatmore is the only one to have expressed his keenness for the Team India coach’s job.

Whatmore, who has coached Sri Lanka (twice) and Bangladesh, did so during the recent rain-marred Chittagong Test.

“Nobody else has come to us... Not even informally... However, nothing will happen before June 4,” Shah told The Telegraph on Tuesday evening.

[Around the same time, though, Madanlal — who was the coach for almost a year in 1996-97 before being replaced by Aunshuman Gaekwad — announced that he was keen, but wouldn’t approach the Board.]

June 4, of course, is when the seven-member special committee with president Sharad Pawar in the chair meets in Bangalore to select Greg Chappell’s full-time successor.

Shah is himself on the committee, as are former captains Srinivas Venkatraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. The remaining members are Board joint-secretary Mohinder Pandove and treasurer N. Srinivasan.

According to Shah, the next coach’s appointment would be for one year with the contract having provision for a two-year extension.

“Right now, that’s the thinking,” he said.

[caught and bowled]

why cant we be professional like everyone else and advertise

[Cover Point]

why cant we be professional like everyone else and advertise

because we dont eat pasta

[RicePlateReddy]

Jimmy had brought his BIL to operate the laptop!

That was a clever ploy so that he could give vent to his true feelings and exclaim "arey saala" when confronted with an embarassing question and get away with it.

The time he will take in Vishwanath as assistant coach, and will respond to Gavaskar's queries with "arey behn c*".

[TheWall]

Dav lone candidate to approach us: Shah

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
 

Darjeeling: With D-Day (or rather C-Day) getting closer by the hour, Board secretary Niranjan Shah has confirmed that Australian Dav Whatmore is the only one to have expressed his keenness for the Team India coach’s job.

Whatmore, who has coached Sri Lanka (twice) and Bangladesh, did so during the recent rain-marred Chittagong Test.

“Nobody else has come to us... Not even informally... However, nothing will happen before June 4,” Shah told The Telegraph on Tuesday evening.

[Around the same time, though, Madanlal — who was the coach for almost a year in 1996-97 before being replaced by Aunshuman Gaekwad — announced that he was keen, but wouldn’t approach the Board.]

June 4, of course, is when the seven-member special committee with president Sharad Pawar in the chair meets in Bangalore to select Greg Chappell’s full-time successor.

Shah is himself on the committee, as are former captains Srinivas Venkatraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. The remaining members are Board joint-secretary Mohinder Pandove and treasurer N. Srinivasan.

According to Shah, the next coach’s appointment would be for one year with the contract having provision for a two-year extension.

“Right now, that’s the thinking,” he said.

If true, isn't that depressing? Something seriously wrong, if the supposed centre of the universe in Cricket can't attract coaching talent.
BCCI down down...

[undercover]

Dav lone candidate to approach us: Shah

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
 

Darjeeling: With D-Day (or rather C-Day) getting closer by the hour, Board secretary Niranjan Shah has confirmed that Australian Dav Whatmore is the only one to have expressed his keenness for the Team India coach’s job.

Whatmore, who has coached Sri Lanka (twice) and Bangladesh, did so during the recent rain-marred Chittagong Test.

“Nobody else has come to us... Not even informally... However, nothing will happen before June 4,” Shah told The Telegraph on Tuesday evening.

[Around the same time, though, Madanlal — who was the coach for almost a year in 1996-97 before being replaced by Aunshuman Gaekwad — announced that he was keen, but wouldn’t approach the Board.]

June 4, of course, is when the seven-member special committee with president Sharad Pawar in the chair meets in Bangalore to select Greg Chappell’s full-time successor.

Shah is himself on the committee, as are former captains Srinivas Venkatraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. The remaining members are Board joint-secretary Mohinder Pandove and treasurer N. Srinivasan.

According to Shah, the next coach’s appointment would be for one year with the contract having provision for a two-year extension.

“Right now, that’s the thinking,” he said.

If true, isn't that depressing? Something seriously wrong, if the supposed centre of the universe in Cricket can't attract coaching talent.
BCCI down down...

Pretty soon, I think EBay will be the right place to find coaches.

What’s PP busy with nowadays? ....Didn’t find time to apply

He left from USA to India just for the love of cricket ... didn’t go to WC,BD or wherever they Played cricket … not interested in the media Manager Post. … No mention of Cricket in his new blog.

Before cricket looses’ one soul ….I am supporting PP for the job i donno about you guys ..

( One hurdle SMG …mention PP to him  and he will jump off from the chair …that might help  DW’s chances )