The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur on Monday confirmed India will have a permanent coach after the completion of the ICC World T20 2016.
Thakur had said earlier that Ravi Shastri will be at the helm of Team India until the end of the ICC World T20. The new coach will be selected in consultation with the BCCI Advisory Committee, consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. The trio will help the board in finding a permanent coach for India.
"There has been a demand for a full-time coach for a long time. We had decided that Ravi Shastri will be the Team Director till the World T20. We do not want to do anything between the season but we also need to decide on the future," Thakur told reporters on Monday.
"We will be playing 13 Tests next season. Like a team is selected series to series, we need to have full-time coach.
"The decision will be taken in consultation with the Advisory Committee [Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman]. We might decide on a coach even before the World T20, but the proper announcement will only happen post the tournament."
India are currently touring Australia and lost yet another ODI series. As expected, the critics have slammed the team's performances in the limited over format while raising questions over MS Dhoni's captaincy and future. The BCCI secretary, however, gave his full backing to Dhoni.
"Mahendra Singh Dhoni is India's most successful captain. Under him we have won two world titles in 2007 and 2011. He has been a consistent captain for last eight years. Just because of one disappointing series [not true, since India have now lost three straight ODI series], it is unfair to blame him," Thakur added.
