India set to appoint new coach

FE Team | Published: June 05, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

India's cricket board is due to reveal the team's new coach, with Australian Dav Whatmore the leading contender, reports BBC.
A seven-strong selection panel comprising former cricketers and officials are hoping to make a final decision in a meeting Monday.
Reports say other contenders include former South African and current Kent coach Graham Ford and former Indian batting star Gundappa Viswanath.
The Indian website rediff.com named Duncan Fletcher as an outside bet. Whatmore quit his post as Bangladesh coach on 29 May, but it was as Sri Lanka coach in the 1990s that he made his mark, winning the World Cup for the island nation in 1996.
The Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Indian cricket board official Niranjan Shah as saying that "Whatmore has a very bright chance" of becoming the new coach. Other reports suggest that Ford has emerged as a dark horse with, according to The Times of India newspaper, "strong backers in the Indian cricket fraternity especially from those in the team".
Ford was South Africa's coach between 1999 to 2001 when the team won nine of the 11 series they played. India have been looking for a coach after Greg Chappell quit following India's shock early exit from the World Cup.
Former Test all-rounder Ravi Shastri took charge of the team on a temporary basis for their tour of Bangladesh.
Many former India Test players and cricket pundits have argued that it is time for a home-grown coach after spells under Australian Chappell and New Zealander John Wright.
Venkatesh Prasad is currently engaged as bowling coach and Robin Singh is the fielding coach.
Both have played Test cricket for India, and either man would be a popular choice in some quarters to take on the higher role.
Former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev believes the pair should guide the team together, while allowing senior players also to have an input.
Fletcher resigned the England role in April and has been spending time at his home in Cape Town considering his future.