Indian cricket to get full-time coach only after T20 Cup : Anurag Thakur

"There has been a demand for a full-time coach for a long time. We had decided that Ravi Shastri will be the Team Director till the World T20. We do not want to do anything between the season but we also need to decide on the future. We will be playing 13 Tests next season. Like a team is selected series to series, we need to have a full-time coach," Thakur said on the sidelines of an ICC promotional event in New Delhi on Monday, reported PTI.

After the tenure of Duncan Fletcher as the coach of the Indian team ended following the ICC 2015 World Cup, the BCCI decided not to appoint a full-time coach and retained Ravi Shastri, who was appointed Team Director in August 2014, till the 2016 T20 World Cup at home, based on the recommendations of the BCCI advisory committee.

Anurag Thakur also hinted at the possibility of the high-profile advisory committee, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, playing a role in the appointment of the coach.

"The decision will be taken in consultation with the Advisory Committee (Tendulkar, Laxman and Ganguly). We might decide on a coach even before the World T20 but the proper announcement will only happen post tournament," the BCCI secretary said, reported PTI.

When asked about India’s ODI series loss against Australia and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, the BCCI secretary threw his weight behind the skipper by saying “Dhoni is India's most successful captain.”

Under him, we have won two world titles in 2007 and 2011. He has been a consistent captain for last eight years. Just because of one disappointing series (3rd straight ODI series loss since mid-2015), it is unfair to blame him," the secretary said, firmly backing the skipper, reported PTI.

"Obviously, the team management and the selection committee members are discussing as to what went wrong and what corrective measures need to be taken before the T20 Asia Cup and the World T20," Thakur added.