Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed his interest in potentially coaching the Indian cricket team, emphasizing his desire to give back to the sport that brought him immense success. Harbhajan Singh comments come in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opening applications for the position of men’s national team head coach.
“If given the chance, I would love to give back to cricket, which has given me such an illustrious career,” Harbhajan told ANI. “Coaching India is about man management, not teaching players how to drive and pull. They already know that very well. You can offer them guidance.”
The BCCI announced last week that they are seeking applicants for the head coach position, with the tenure beginning on July 1, 2024, and ending on December 31, 2027. This period will include the next 50-over Cricket World Cup.
India’s current head coach, Rahul Dravid, received an extension until June following India’s loss in the ICC Cricket World Cup final last November. This extension covers the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled from June 1 to 29 in the West Indies and USA.
The application deadline for the head coach role is 6 PM IST on May 27, 2024. The BCCI’s selection process will involve reviewing applications, conducting personal interviews, and assessing shortlisted candidates.
To qualify for the head coach position, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Played a minimum of 30 Test Matches or 50 ODIs, or served as head coach of a full member Test-playing nation for at least two years.
- Alternatively, served as head coach of an Associate member/Indian Premier League (IPL) team, equivalent international league/first-class teams/national A teams for a minimum of three years.
- Hold a BCCI Level 3 Certification or equivalent.
- Be below 60 years of age.
India will compete in Group A of this year’s T20 World Cup, alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA. India’s campaign begins against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. They will then face the USA on June 12 and Canada on June 15.
India Squad for T20 World Cup:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Hardik Pandya (vc)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Virat Kohli
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Sanju Samson (wk)
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohd. Siraj
Reserves:
- Shubman Gill
- Rinku Singh
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Avesh Khan
The Indian cricket community eagerly awaits the selection of the new head coach who will steer the team through upcoming international challenges.
