BCCI officially invites applications for the post of new head coach; deadline set for May 27 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially put out the notice for the position of head coach on their website. Candidates will be allowed to submit their application by May 27, 2024, and current head coach Rahul Dravid is also eligible to apply for the post again.

The minimum criteria for applying has been set at a minimum of 30 Test appearances or 50 ODI matches or experience of two years as a head coach of a full member Test playing nation. Candidates with three years of coaching experience with an IPL franchise or an associate nation or first-class team are also eligible to apply. Another major criterion set by the BCCI is that the applicant must be younger than 60 years.

The BCCI released a statement on its website regarding the head coach application.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invites applications for the position of Head Coach (Senior Men). The BCCI on Monday invited applications for the position of Head Coach of the Senior Men’s Team. Applications for the position should be submitted by 6PM IST on May 27, 2024. The selection process will include a thorough review of applications, followed by personal interviews and assessments of shortlisted candidates," the statement read.

Current coach Rahul Dravid was given a two-year contract when he took over from Ravi Shastri after the 2021 T20 World Cup. He was given a six-month extension after the 2023 ODI World Cup, to oversee the proceedings at the 2024 T20 World Cup as well.

The next head coach, according to the job description, will be given a three-and-a-half-year contract, running up to the end of 2027, when the next ODI World Cup is scheduled.

The job description mentions the following accountabilities that the role demands:

"The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a world class Indian cricket team which delivers sustained success in all conditions and formats, inspiring current and future generations of cricketers and stakeholders with their approach to the game."

"The Head Coach will have overall responsibility for the performance and management of the India Men’s team in all three formats of the game."

"The Head Coach will lead a team of specialist coaches and support staff and will be responsible for defining their roles, their performance and ongoing development."

"The Head Coach will be responsible for reviewing, maintaining, and enforcing the disciplinary codes within the Indian Men’s team."

The notice also confirms that Team India are looking for a single coach to handle all three formats and are not steering towards split coaching like England, South Africa, and Pakistan have done in recent times.

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"We cannot determine whether the new coach will be Indian or foreign" - BCCI secretary Jay Shah

BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the next head coach will be on contract until 2027 during a recent media meet in Mumbai. He also added that the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) will finalize the appointment, and the next coach could either be Indian or foreign.

"Rahul's tenure is only up to June. So if he wants to apply, he is free to do so. We cannot determine whether the new coach will be Indian or foreign. It will be up to the CAC, and we are a global body," Shah said.

Duncan Fletcher was the last foreign head coach of Team India. The former Zimbabwe cricketer had taken over from Gary Kirsten post the 2011 World Cup, and was in charge of the team till 2015.