Sitanshu Kotak, Paras Mhambrey to Lead India A and Under-19 Coaching Staff

Sitanshu Kotak, Paras Mhambrey to Lead India A and Under-19 Coaching Staff

Sitanshu Kotak and Paras Mhambrey have been promoted to the top coaching posts with the India A and India Under-19 teams, respectively. This major reshuffle comes following Rahul Dravid's elevation to the position of head of cricket at Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy. Kotak, Saurashtra's former batsman, will perform head coach and batting coach duties with India A, with Ramesh Powar, the former India offspinner, taking over as bowling coach and T Dilip as fielding coach. The appointments, for the moment, are only for the upcoming tour of India by South Africa A for a series of two four-day matches and five one-dayers. Former India fast bowler Mhambrey, who has worked for long with the 'A' and Under-19 sides under Dravid, will be the head coach as well as the bowling coach of the junior side at the upcoming Asia Cup in Colombo in September. Former India batsman Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Abhay Sharma, another key member of Dravid's team, will be the batting and fielding coaches, respectively. ESPNcricinfo understands that Mhambrey and Abhay will continue to be members of Dravid's permanent staff at the NCA, but will serve elsewhere - like with the Under-19 team - as required. Dravid had served as the head coach of the two teams since his appointment in 2015, till being given the NCA position earlier this year. Dravid, however, has a meeting with Justice (retd) DK Jain, the BCCI's ombudsman-cum-ethics officer, lined up on September 26 following conflict-of-interest allegations leveled by Sanjeev Gupta, a Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member. Gupta's contention is that Dravid should not be on the BCCI's payroll - as NCA cricket boss - because he was a long-term employee of India Cements, the company owned by former board president N Srinivasan that also owns Chennai Super Kings.