Under-fire BCCI falls back on Indian coaches

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has finally heeded the call of former India cricketers and got three from their own fraternity to work with the Indian team which will resume its ODI campaign from August 25 against England.

While sending bowling and fielding coaches Joe Dawes and Trevor Penny on a ‘break’, the BCCI appointed former India cricketers Sanjay Bangar (assistant coach) and Bharat Arun (bowling coach) besides naming R Srishar as the fielding coach.

41-year-old Bangar had played 12 Tests and 15 ODIs in early 2000, with his gritty half-century at Headingley opening in overcast conditions in a memorable victory still remembered.

Bangar, considered to be one of the brightest young coaches, had guided an unhrealded Kings XI Punjab team to the final of the IPL and has been widely acclaimed as a shrewd tactician with brilliant knowledge about the domestic set-up and its cricketers.

Having only retired from active cricket a year earlier, Bangar is believed to have the best ringside view and is also seen as a future coach of the Indian cricket team by many.

Bharath Arun had opened the bowling with legendary Kapil Dev in 2 Tests and 4 ODIs in the mid 80’s without much success.

Arun, who will probably be the bowling coach, has been heading the NCA’s bowling unit for a close to seven years now and is best known for guiding the Unmukt Chand-led India under-19 team to Youth World Cup victory in Australia back in 2012.

Fielding coach Sridhar, a former Ranji Trophy player from Hyderabad, has been India U-19’s fielding coach and the junior players swear by his work ethic.

He has also been a fielding coach with the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.