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BCCI deliberating over separate India coaches for Tests and ODIs

Ravi Shastri watches over a India practice session on the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year

BCCI is deliberating over the option of appointing two separate head coaches for the long and the shorter formats. Anurag Thakur, BCCI secretary, has revealed that the appointment of the coaches should happen before the South Africa series in October. The cricket advisory committee has been given full freedom to choose a coach but two coaches might be on the cards, reports ESPNcricinfo.

According to some BCCI insiders, about half a dozen foreign coaches have been approached but they have all rejected it due to domestic and T20 commitments. Another factor working on the minds of the foreign coaches is BCCI’s emphasis on them using Indian assistant coaches instead of allowing them to bring in their own support staff. This has resulted in coaches being apprehensive of taking up the job.

"I think it is very important to have a full-time coach for any team. We have taken some time to decide and most probably in the month of September, we will finalise the coach," Thakur told Sanjay Manjrekar and Sunil Gavaskar during the lunch break of India's second Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

"[Ravi] Shastri is holding the position of the Director for the last few months and he has done well with the Indian cricket team, the boys have given us a good feedback about him, so the only issue is if we want a full-time coach then what would be the set-up. We can't be having 10 people with the Indian cricket team.

Advisory committee to decide appointments: Thakur

The high-profile advisory committee consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly will conduct talks with all the probable people and come up with a decision. Thakur also hinted that Ravi Shastri will also be in contention for the position.

"So we have left it to the cricket advisory committee to decide how many people will be required, how many coaches will be required, whether a bowling coach, a batting coach, a full-time coach or a director. Let them take a call, come back to BCCI in September and before the South Africa series, I can assure you that we will take a call on that."

Shastri who has built up a great rapport with Test captain Virat Kohli, could continue as the Test coach, with a new coach coming in for ODIs and T20s. 

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