By IANS
New Delhi : Former Test batsman Lalchand Rajput was Wednesday named the Indian team’s cricket manager for the Twenty20 World Championship, a move that further delayed appointment of the permanent coach.
The Indian team is without a coach for over four months, since the end of the World Cup in March, when Greg Chappell’s controversial and eventful two-year term ended.
“Chandu Borde will continue as the cricket manager till the end of the (ongoing) England tour and Lalchand Rajput has been appointed as cricket manager for the Twenty20 World Championship,” board vice-president Rajeev Shukla told reporters after its office-bearers’ meeting.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that it would now advertise for the coach’s post, much against its own stated wish. Shukla said that the advertisement would be placed in a week.
BCCI president Sharad Pawar had said a few days ago that he had written to the national boards of Australia and other countries to help find a coach.
In June, BCCI decided to appoint South African Graham Ford, currently Kent county coach, but he surprisingly snubbed the board by declining to accept the post.
Unable to find a coach in time for the English and Ireland series beginning in June, a desperate BCCI then appointed 72-year-old Borde for the long tour, only to draw flak from all.
Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad will continue as the fielding and bowling coaches respectively for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa Sep 10-24.