The Indian cricket board is expected to contact Rahul Dravid about being the temporary coach for India's home series against New Zealand. After the 2021 T20 World Cup, head coach Ravi Shastri and the core of the support staff will depart, but the board recognises that finding a replacement coach may take longer than expected, and so wants an experienced hand like Dravid to serve as a stop-gap option.
A few Australian coaches have expressed interest in the position, but the BCCI isn't interested since they want to hire an Indian first before looking overseas. The BCCI wanted Dravid to be the full-time coach of the Indian team, but he declined, according to cricket news reports, since he didn't want to.
The BCCI has not issued a formal job advertisement for the coach, but it has been seeking someone who fits the criteria. Before putting out the exhibit, the Indian cricket board is attempting to determine the availability of possible applicants.
-We wanted the candidate whom we feel is best suited for the job to agree first (to apply for the job),- a BCCI official explained their rationale to delay the advertisement. -We don-t want a situation where we get applications but no one is seen as ideal. It will be embarrassing for the board and for the candidates too. So it-s better to find a suitable candidate first, till then Dravid can be interim coach,- a BCCI official said.
The board had contemplated asking Shastri to stay on until the end of the New Zealand series, but they have subsequently altered their minds. When the main squad was playing in Australia earlier this year, Dravid coached the Indian second-string team in Sri Lanka. Following the T20 World Cup, India will play New Zealand in two Tests and three Twenty20 matches.
After the T20 WC, Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, and fielding coach R Sridhar's tenures will come to an end. Nick Webb, the Indian team's trainer, will also step down after the anticipated tournament.
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