BCCI confirm Ravi Shastri as director of cricket until 2015 ICC World Cup
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to stick with Ravi Shastri and the Indian support staffs, who were accompanying the national team during the limited-overs leg of the recently concluded England tour, until the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The BCCI had a working committee meeting in Chennai earlier today where they arrived the decision.
Ravi Shastri will be with the Team on a full-time basis during the Triangular series in Australia and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 26, 2014BCCI Working Committee also approved the appointment of Sanjay Bangar and B. Arun as Asst. Coaches, and R. Sridhar as Fielding Coach
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 26, 2014After India’s disastrous 3-1 loss in the Test series in July-August, the BCCI appointed former Indian cricketer-turned commentator Ravi Shastri as the director of cricket for the ODIs against England to oversee the state of affairs. Shastri’s appointment resulted in Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar being contacted at short notice to work as assistant coaches to head coach Duncan Fletcher for the series in place of Trevor Penney and Joe Dawes, who were sent on leave on a temporary basis.
India subsequently won the ODI series by a resounding 3-1 margin, leading to speculation that the BCCI might extend their stay till next year’s World Cup, and that is exactly what has happened. Shastri’s role as team director had raised questions back in England about Fletcher’s future, but the Zimbabwean can heave a sigh of relief as he is set to see out his contract.
The latest development, however, has put into doubt the future of Penney and Dawes, given that they had a contract with the BCCI lasting till next year’s showpiece event. They could now possibly be asked to take up roles in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore till their contract runs out.