August 09, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 24, 1428

NEW DELHI, Aug 8: India’s junior coach Lalchand Rajput was on Wednesday named manager of the Indian team for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September.

Rajput, 45, played two Tests as an opening batsman in 1985 and served Mumbai with distinction in first-class cricket before being given charge of the Indian under-19 team last year.

Rajput replaces Chandu Borde, the manager for the ongoing Test and one-day tour of England, as India continue stop-gap arrangements in the absence of a regular coach since Greg Chappell resigned in April.

Former captain-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri managed the team on the tour of Bangladesh in May but declined to continue, citing media commitments.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Wednesday it will advertise for the post of national coach within the next week.

“We want to get a coach as early as possible,” BCCI spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters after a meeting of its top officials here.

Wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Tuesday appointed captain of a revamped Indian team for the Twenty20 world meet in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban from Sept 11 to 24.

Regular captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan opted out of the tournament to rest ahead of a busy season that features matches against Australia and Pakistan.—AFP