As Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initiated the process to select the new head coach for the Indian cricket team, Australia’s legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne said that he is interested for the job as he shares good relationship with Indian skipper Virat Kohli, but he didn’t apply for the job because he thought ‘BCCI can’t afford him’. Many prominent cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Doda Ganesh, Richard Pybus and Anil Kumble had applied for the top job.
“I am very expensive, I don’t think they (BCCI) can afford me. Virat Kohli and me can have a good partnership, but as I said, I am very, very expensive,” Mid-Day quoted Shane Warne as saying.
Shane Warne is currently performing the role of a commentator during the the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England and Wales. Shane Warne during his International career played 145 Tests and 194 One Day International matches. In whites, Shane Warne had picked up 708 wickets while in yellow- coloured jersey he had claimed 293 wickets.
According to the media reports, BCCI sought applications for the top job after a tiff reportedly erupted between the cricket body and current coach Anil Kumble, who had demanded a hike in salary of players and staff. The reports also claimed that 49 applicants have already been received by the Indian cricket board for the post.
The BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman will be conducting interviews and seek presentations to select the best candidate.
Meanwhile, defending champions India started their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 tournament on high note after they thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by a huge margin on June 4. Virat Kohli-led side will now take on neighbours Sri Lanka in Group B match on June 8 at The Oval. India need to win this game to confirm their semi-final berth.
