Shastri's first demand: Appoint Bharat Arun as bowling coach in place of Zaheer

Photo: AFP New Delhi: A new member is all set to be attached to the star-studded Team India support staff. Bharat Arun could be drafted in as the bowling coach following the demands of newly-appointed Head coach Ravi Shastri and Zaheer Khan's role is all set to be reduced to a mere consultant on a time to time basis. According to sources, former India bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad is also in line to bag the role of bowling coach. Prasad is currently the chairman of junior selection committee and has previously served Indian cricket as a bowling consultant. However, the balance is heavily tilted towards Arun, who had previously worked with Shastri when he was the Team Director between 2014 and 2016. Arun and Shastri go back a long way having been buddies since their U-19 days back in early 80's. It was on Shastri's recommendation that then President N Srinivasan gave a go-ahead to Arun's appointment with the senior team when he was the bowling consultant at the NCA. After a lot of drama BCCI formally announced Shastri as the head coach and Zaheer Khan as the bowling coach of Team India on Tuesday. But as per latest developments, CoA hasn't yet approved the fees payable to Zaheer as bowling coach. The former India left-arm seamer is reportedly asking for 4 crores and hence CoA may flag off the appointment or keep Zaheer as an occasional consultant from time to time basis like Dravid. Interestingly, it was CAC chairman Sourav Ganguly who had pushed for Zaheer Khan after his preferred choice Virender Sehwag lost the Head coach position to Shastri. It seems the Shastri-Ganguly chapter is far from over. A day after Shastri’s appointment, he has expressed his displeasures of not getting the support staff of his choice. And if he does get his way with Arun, it will be sweet revenge on Ganguly, who had stalled Shastri’s appointment last year, opting for Kumble. The CoA is expected to meet on the 15th to take up these matters. The support staff saga, where the CAC loaded their own members as support staff without a brief is the latest chapter to this issue.