Shastri, Arun, Bangar set to re-apply for India coaching jobs

- 'All the three coaches (Arun, Bangar, Sridhar) along with Shastri are applying as they have got positive feelers from the top brass of the BCCI.'

Former Team India Director Ravi Shastri along with his support staff which includes Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and Ramakrishnan Sridhar are all set to re-apply after the Board of Control for Cricket in India advertises for the national coaching positions in the next couple of days.

A senior BCCI official confirmed that Shastri, along with batting coach Bangar, bowling coach Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar will send their applications.

"All the three coaches (Arun, Bangar, Sridhar) along with Shastri are applying as they have got positive feelers from the top brass of the BCCI. Since there will be a format of application that each applicant will have to follow, they are waiting for the advertisement to be published," a senior BCCI official privy to the development, told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

According to the BCCI source, just days before Anurag Thakur was elected as the Board president, the support staff had met him in Delhi and the discussions are said to be "positive" as he had praised their work.

"The BCCI president had made it clear that anyone with proper credentials can apply. Also, Thakur has praised the work done by Team Shastri in the last 18 months. The young team has enjoyed a fair bit of success overseas. It is only fair that they get equal chance like other applicants," said the source.

Recently, Shastri had told PTI in an interaction that the "18 months spent with the current team was the most memorable experience" during his over three-decade association with Indian cricket.

Asked about the criteria that is going to be set, the source said that candidates will be judged on two counts.

"A Level-III degree with considerable experience of coaching senior teams, preferably international sides or someone who has at least played minimum 50 international matches for his country. This is because if we only invite people with coaching degrees, then there will be a lot of unnecessary applications.

"Also, someone like Shastri cannot be considered if coaching degree is only consideration whereas he has played 80 Tests for India," said the source.

Image: Ravi Shastri, left, with Virat Kohli.

Photograph: Solaris Images