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'No decision has been made on appointment of new coach. The CAC is still deliberating over it.'
The Board of Control for Cricket in India denied reports that Ravi Shastri has been appointed coach of the Indian cricket team but dropped hints the announcement can be made as early as Tuesday night after Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC)'s deliberations on the matter are over.
Amid media frenzy that Shastri has been named coach till the 2019 World Cup, BCCI secretary Amitabh Chaudhary urged the media to observe restrain.
"No decision has been made on appointment of new coach. The CAC is still deliberating over it. Irrespective of what various channels are running that's not the truth. The three CAC members are still deliberating. We are as eager to know as you are. Let's not put out things that are not true and not reached the stage of finality," Chaudhary said in New Delhi.
The acting joint secretary though said an announcement on the chosen candidate is likely late on Tuesday evening.
"I can't determine the exact time when it will be announced but Indian Standard time today. I can't speculate as three are speaking to each other. It's a very difficult job and I give full marks to them."
Chaudhary said that they can't decide whether the CAC will speak to Virat Kohli or not.
"We are sensitive on this subject that we will completely stay independent from subject till a recommendation comes. Please understand it's a recommendation," he said.
"COA rightly advised us to announce it as quickly as possible. The three members of CAC would like to confer further. That liberty you have to give them. No problem at all. Conversation should be comprehensive and time sensitive."
Asked about Anil Kumble's acrimonious exit following rift with captain Virat Kohli, Chaudhary said:"I would call it regrettable."
Chaudhary dodged the issue of how much say players should have in decision making.
"Depends on individual to individual and system to system as no two systems are similar."
Questioned on Virat Kohli's influence on CAC, Chaudhary said, "The three are such big figures they know how to handle these situations. We are talking about three of the biggest batsmen in world cricket."
After interviewing five candidates for the job, which fell vacant after Anil Kumble's acrimonious exit, the CAC had decided to keep the decision on hold on Monday.
Shastri, who had a successful stint as Team Director between 2014-2016, remains a front-runner for the job.
If he is chosen, Shastri's first assignment will be a Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning July 26.
The CAC had interviewed Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput on July 9 but delayed the announcement on the chosen candidate, saying that the matter needs to be discussed with captain Kohli.
CAC member Sourav Ganguly had made it clear that Kohli's inputs will be sought before the final outcome.