Farokh Engineer in favour of extending Anil Kumble's tenure as India coach

What’s the story?

Former Indian cricketer Farokh Engineer has opined that the people operating the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are knowledgeable enough to know who the best candidate for India's coach is and should not be seeking applications for the same. The 79-year-old is also in favour of extending Anil Kumble's tenure which ends after the Champions Trophy.

"I don't know about a new coach," Engineer said at Edgbaston during India's clash with Pakistan on Sunday. "I've spoken to Tom Moody and Virender Sehwag; both were very cool about it. But I don't think they should apply for a job like that. They should be invited by the BCCI. You know, you're not going for a clerk's interview or applying for a purchasing officer's post to see who is better. They should already know who the best person for the job is and then take a decision."

Calling Kumble a ‘fantastic’ coach, the veteran wicketkeeper also said he is surprised that the current head coach’s term has not been automatically extended.

“I'd have thought that they'd extend his term," he said. "I was surprised to see other people's names mentioned. But other people are also qualified and very good. So I don't know. Who is qualified enough in the BCCI's terms?" Engineer was quoted as questioning by The Hindu.

In case you didn’t know...

Kumble’s term as India’s head coach expires at the end of the Champions Trophy. The BCCI thus invited applications for the coveted post for which Virender Sehwag, Lalchand Rajput, Dodda Ganesh, Tom Moody and Richard Pybus have thrown their hats in. But it was also learnt that Kumble re-applied for the post on May 31.

The heart of the matter

Engineer, who featured in 46 Test matches for India, also added that both Kohli and Kumble are close friends of his. He further said that he is not aware of any rift between the two but thinks that so far, the duo has done a great job.

The former Mumbai player heaped praise on Kohli the captain, saying that he is the best thing that has happened to Indian cricket. He highlighted the 28-year old's passion for the game and hoped that he continues to play for years to come.

What’s next?

The applications for the post of the head coach have closed and it remains to be seen who the BCCI shortlists for the interview which will be conducted by Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.

Author’s Take

It is common knowledge that the Indian team made a lot of progress under Kumble, climbing the ladder to the top of the ICC Test rankings. After all the success, it will be surprising if the selectors look beyond Kumble for the coveted post, irrespective of the rift between him and Kohli.