Kumble will remain coach for WI tour, says COA head Vinod Rai

Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Anil Kumble will remain India's coach for the tour of West Indies subject to his acceptance, Committee of Administrators (COA) chairman Vinod Rai said, insisting that only the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) will decide the next head coach.

"Coach selection has been entrusted to the CAC which selected Anil Kumble last year for a one-year contract. Now the process has to be followed. But since the process has been delayed, Kumble, subject to his accepting, will be there for the West Indies tour," Rai told reporters after a meeting of the COA here.

"The CAC is meeting in London to decide upon the road ahead," he added.

India will tour the West Indies for a five-ODI series starting June 23 followed by a lone Twenty20 match on July 9.

The COA, now a three-member panel after the controversial exit of historian Ramachandra Guha, had a day-long meeting here.

Asked whether coach recruitment could have been handled better by the BCCI, Rai said the matter has been blown out of proportion with reports claiming a rift between captain Virat Kohi and Kumble.

"The fact is that it was a one year contract so a process was followed. I don't know why is this controversy. I have spoken to both of them (Kohli and Kumble) and neither of them have confirmed what has come out," he said.

The CAC -- comprising Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly -- is currently in London and is in touch with both the captain and the coach on the sidelines of the ongoing Champions Trophy.

The CAC, which is in favour of retaining Kumble, has sought more time ahead of the BCCI SGM on June 26.

"We have left it to the CAC, they are legends, they know what is best for Indian cricket," said Rai, who also rubbished a report claiming that CAC has asked to be paid for the honorary job.

Guha, in his scathing resignation letter, had lashed out at the BCCI's functioning besides alleging conflict of interest in the case of Rahul Dravid who is India A coach and also a mentor of the Delhi Daredevils IPL franchise.

The former batsman had sought more clarity on the subject so that he can take an informed decision.

To address a host of conflict of interest issues, the BCCI will soon have an ethics officer.

"All issues regarding COI will be referred to ethics officer appointed by the BCCI. He will be appointed soon. A lot of complaints regarding COI have been received," said Rai.

He further said that Guha's resignation will be forwarded to the Supreme Court.

The COA was formed mainly to carry out reforms recommended by the SC-appointed Lodha Committee. As expected, some of the recommendations, including one state and one vote and tenure of office-bearers, were met with stiff resistance by the state associations.

However, Rai insisted that reforms are on track and will be placed before the state associations at the SGM.

"The reforms are on track. They will be entrusted to the SGM which is meeting on June 26. It is going to be placed before them but in all our conversations with them, they have expressed their willingness to accept the reforms," he said.