Indian cricket team's head coach: Chief selector Sandeep Patil puts himself in the race

Just a few days after the BCCI invited applications for the vacant post of India senior men’s team head coach through its website, chief selector Sandeep Patil has thrown his hat into the ring for the high-profile job. “I have just applied (for the post),” Patil told.  He did not confirm or deny whether anyone from the BCCI had asked him to do so.

There was speculation that the former dashing batsman and ex-coach of Kenya had been advised by higher-ups in the Board to apply for the job as the senior selection panel headed by him has already completed most of its top-level assignments till September when his term is scheduled to come to an end.

The five-man panel, which was originally scheduled to pick only the squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe starting in a few days’ time, also picked the team for the July-August tour of the West Indies when they met here on May 23.

Sanjay Bangar has been named the interim coach of the new-look side to Zimbabwe, to be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

With India senior team’s next assignment, a series of home engagements, scheduled only in late September or October, Patil has done most of his job barring picking the India ‘A’ team for the tour of Australia in August.

If he gets the job of head coach before September, he will have to quit his current job in the selection panel.

The senior team has not had a head coach since the departure of Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher after the disastrous tour to England in 2014.

Ravi Shastri was made the Team Director even when that tour was in progress and continued in that post till India were knocked out of the World T20 Championship at the semifinal stage by eventual champions West Indies in March.

Shastri is expected to be one of the rivals of his former Mumbai and India team-mate for the head coach’s job.

The BCCI has put in place the requirements of candidates for the high-profile job who have to send in applications on or before June 10.

It is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment programme conducted by any of the full member countries and currently possess such a valid certification.

The candidate should demonstrate methods/tools to effectively measure individual player performance and present metrics to the Board, which will in turn measure the performance of the team, on a consistent and timely basis; demonstrate an understanding and ability of employing a multidisciplinary approach that will include sports psychology and sports medicine, and effectively manage the workload of the players, thereby enhancing their contribution to the cause of the team.

Those applying for the top job should have communication skills befitting the coach of an international team, are mandatory along with the ability to effectively convey the right messages and must demonstrate proficiency in English.  The ability to communicate in an Indian language is desirable but by no means mandatory.

The candidate should be well versed with the latest technologies/trends in sports software and ability to utilise the same, which will assist in analysing/improving the performance of the player and the team; should demonstrate plans and ability to contribute to the NCA Cricket Development Programmes and forecasting/planning to develop the next generation cricketer and agree to make themselves available for the NCA, as and when they are not with the team.

It is mandatory that the candidate should have an impeccable personal record, devoid of any past or current disputes, with any of the member boards of the ICC or its affiliates.