Coaches conundrum: More trouble brewing

New Delhi : All’s well that ends well. The Indian cricket fans would have thought so after BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) named Ravi Shastri as the head coach and Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan as members of the support staff. The announcement brought a sort of closure to the distasteful episode between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli. However, barely two days after the announcement, it turns out there are still a few teething issues that need to be resolved. It has been learnt that Shastri wants Bharat Arun back as bowling coach — the 54-year-old was an integral part of Shastri’s support staff during his stint as the team director from 2014 to 2016. And it’s widely believed that Arun played a crucial role in raising the standard of the Indian pace attack. But with CAC appointing Khan as bowling coach — he had not even applied for the job — it won’t be easy for Shastri to get his preferred man back on the job. According to a BCCI official, Khan isn’t keen on taking up the role on a full-time basis. “Zaheer is only looking to give 100-120 days to the job, which won’t be acceptable to Shastri. The head coach feels Arun can be appointed as a regular bowling coach, and Zaheer can chip in with his advice. Shastri also feels Arun has a far more coaching experience compared to Zaheer,” the official said. Shastri, the official informed, wants the bowling coach to be available for at least 200-250 days in a year, and Khan doesn’t seem ready for that sort of commitment.