MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon invite fresh applications for its national cricket team’s support staff, including the head coach, and incumbent Ravi Shastri will need to reapply once his contract expires after next month’s tour of the West Indies.

The support staff comprising Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R. Sridhar were given a 45-day extension following the World Cup, covering the West Indies tour from Aug 3 to Sept 3.

All of them can reapply but the team is set to have a new trainer and physio after the departure of Shankar Basu and Patrick Farhart respectively, following India’s semi-final exit in the World Cup.After the West Indies tour, India’s home season kicks off with the series against South Africa beginning on Sept 15.

Shastri was appointed India chief coach in 2017 after Anil Kumble’s tenure ended prematurely in controversial circumstances. The 57-year-old was also India’s director of cricket from August 2014 to June 2016.

However, India have not won a major ICC event under his guidance though the team did make history by winning a maiden Test series in Australia earlier this year.”The job openings will put be up on our website in a day or two. Besides the support staff, fresh applications will also be invited for the post of team manager,” a BCCI official told Press Trust of India.

Former Tamil Nadu captain Sunil Subramanian was appointed team manager in 2017 on a year-contract but he got an extension.

It was the first time that the BCCI had followed a transparent procedure for hiring the team manger, in accordance with the Lodha committee recommendations.For all positions, the BCCI has done away with direct appointment and follows a proper recruitment process.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2019