BCCI may announce new coach by June 25

New Delhi: The working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is meeting in Dharamsala on June 24, may announce the head coach of the national team, a post that has been lying vacant since last year. Speaking to IANS, a top board official did not deny that an announcement on the next coach could be made, with India all set to tour the West Indies for a gruelling four-Test series next month. Altogether 57 candidates have applied for the post, including the likes of former India skippers Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and current selection committee chairman Sandip Patil after the board had invited applications through its website. BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke will prune the list, after which he will forward it to the advisory panel comprising the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, who will trim it further before the BCCI top brass picks the candidate. Besides that, the official said that the meeting will centre around the Technical Committee's recommendations, including holding of Ranji Trophy matches at neutral venues, which has come under criticism from various quarters. The Ranji Trophy coaches and captains conclave is also set to be held a day earlier at the same place. The committee is also likely to dwell on the Supreme Court's verdict on the Justice Lodha Committee's recommendations for sweeping reforms in the BCCI, which is expected by early next month.