Rahul Dravid will have to reapply if he wants to continue as head coach after June: Jay Shah
Mumbai, May 10: India head coach Rahul Dravid will have to reapply if he wishes to continue in the job after his tenure ends with next month's T20 World Cup, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has said while making it clear that the new appointment will be for a three-year term.
Dravid, who had a two-year contract originally, was given an extension along with his support staff after the conclusion of the 50-overs World Cup in November last year.
"We will call for applications in the next few days. Rahul Dravid's tenure is coming to an end. He has to reapply if he has to continue. We are looking for a long-term coach, for three years," Shah told select media during an interaction at the BCCI office here on Thursday.
The BCCI secretary said there has been no precedent of having different coaches for different formats but ultimately the decision rests with the Cricket Advisory Committee. The CAC comprises Jatin Paranjape, Ashok Malhotra and Sulakshana Naik.
"There is no precedent of different coaches for different format in Indian cricket. Besides, we have a number of players who are all-format players. There are many common players across formats such as Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma," he said.
"Ultimately, this is the Cricket Advisory Committee's call. I have to implement what they decide," he added.
Shah said even a foreign coach can be considered depending on the CAC's recommendations.
"If the CAC selects a foreign coach, I can't interfere," he added.
The BCCI secretary informed that the vacant post of one national selector is expected to be filled up soon.
"A few interviews for the selector's post have already happened. We will announce it soon," he said.
Greg Barclay's role as the chairman of the International Cricket Council ends later this year but Shah remained non-committal on running for the position.
"Let me be here in BCCI. Let there be speculation. But let me be here (in the BCCI). Am I not doing a good job?" he asked.
"India sending experienced team for T20 World Cup"
Shah said India are sending an experienced team to the T20 World Cup owing to the fact that conditions in the USA are unknown.
"The team is leaving in two batches, those who will be free before (the playoffs) will leave on May 24. The rest of them will leave after the final," he said.
"We have an experienced team; a better team couldn't have been selected. We have selected the best 15 players possible. We have a batting line up till Nos. 8 and 9. We have selected experienced players who can play in all conditions," he added.
Shah rejected the talk that India, England and Australia are in talks to revive the franchise-based competition Champions League T20.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins had claimed in a media interaction here last month that the three boards are in talks to revive the competition.
"The Cricket Victoria CEO has not spoken to me about this. No such discussions are taking place. I would have told you had I been a part of any talks," Shah said.
He also said the ICC has not approached BCCI on the topic of creating windows for country-based T20 leagues.
"That is ICC's prerogative. It is a fact that the ICC is not touching the IPL. In fact, they have given it a two-and-a-half month window instead of just about two months, we are grateful to the ICC for that," he said.
Shah said the board will speak to the ICC about hosting the World Test Championship final at a different venue from 2027. The first two editions of Test cricket's summit clash have been organised in England, including the one for the current 2023-25 cycle.
"We have spoken about the ICC for 2027. There are only three main Test centres, India, England and Australia. You cannot hold it in Australia during that window or even in India. Even in Bengaluru, it rains during that time," he said.
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Kangana Ranaut shown black flags in Himachal's Lahaul and Spiti, BJP files complaint with CEO
Shimla, May 20: Actor Kangana Ranaut, BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, was shown black flags by local people and Congress workers at Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti on Monday.
The Himachal Pradesh BJP filed a complaint with the state chief electoral officer (CEO) demanding transfer of election officials and an investigation into the incident as both the BJP and the Congress were given permission to hold rallies adjacent to each other.
The Congress workers raised anti-Kangana slogans - "Kangana, go back, Kangana Vangana nahi chalegi". They were apparently enraged over her remarks on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in April last year.
Ranaut had tweeted a meme featuring the Dalai Lama that said, "The Dalai Lama receives a warm welcome at the White house". The photoshopped picture in the tweet showed the Dalai Lama sticking his tongue out with US President Joe Biden with a comment - Both of them have the same illness, definitely they could be friends.
Following this, a group of Buddhists staged a dharna outside her office in Mumbai.
Later she apologised saying she didn't mean to hurt anyone, and it was a harmless joke about Biden being friends with the Dalai Lama.
Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur, who had accompanied Ranaut to Kaza to campaign for the BJP, on Monday alleged that the Congress workers tried to disturb the meeting of the BJP and pelted stones on their carcade while they were returning.
Talking to reporters, he said, "It is unfortunate that for the first time, permission was given to hold a parallel rally at the venue to the Congress where prior permission was already granted to the BJP to hold the rally.
Efforts were made to disturb our rally and the Congress workers raised shameful slogans, stopped our carcade and pelted stones, injuring one person."
Thakur added that they go for campaigning all over the state but such things have happened for the first time, which shows "frustration" of the Congress and they would take up the issue with the Election Commission.
Later, in a complaint filed with the Himachal Pradesh CEO, BJP state office secretary Parmod Kumar Thakur said the Congress workers allegedly tried to illegally restrain the political procession and even pelted stones and demanded an investigation into the incident.
"The district administration granted permission for organising a political meeting to the Congress adjacent to the place already scheduled to hold a political meeting of the BJP at Kaza under undue influence of the state government in utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)", he said.
In the complaint, the BJP demanded the immediate transfer of election officials from Lahaul and Spiti and said giving permission to both the parties at the same location at the same time was a "big lapse" on the part of the Election Commission "in spite of the fact that permission to the BJP was provided first and the officers involved in this act are biased against the BJP, and free and fair elections are doubtful under the circumstances."
Lahaul and Spiti SP Mayank Chowdhary told PTI that workers of both the BJP and the ruling Congress came face to face but there was no clash and no person was injured. However, one worker sprained his leg, he added.
Bhishan Shashni, Congress election coordinator for Lahaul and Spiti claimed that the Congress workers were peacefully protesting but a large number of people, who were hurt by Ranaut's remarks about the Tibetan spiritual leader, joined the protest.
Earlier, Congress candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat Vikramaditya Singh had asked why Ranaut did not visit Spiti and returned from Reckong Peo alleging that she was afraid she would be shown black flags for her remarks against the Dalai Lama.
