BCCI receives stunning 57 applications for head coach’s position

“The primary scrutiny of the applications received is now being carried out by the Office of the Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, with regards to the applicants, meeting the set eligibility criteria. After this initial scrutiny, the list of candidates who meet the criteria will be processed for further consideration,” the BCCI's Honorary Secretary Ajay Shirke has said in a media release.

Earlier last month, The BCCI had invited applications for the Team India head coach, a position which has been vacant since Duncan Fletcher’s contract ended after the World Cup in 2015. The BCCI have set the criteria for this job, and they are looking for someone who has “successfully coached a cricket team of any of the member countries of the ICC, at the first class or at the International level”. Another criteria is "It is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification assessment program conducted by any of the full member countries and currently possess such a valid certification”.

One of the widely talked about criteria is that of “communication skills befitting the coach of an International team are mandatory, along with the ability to effectively convey the right messages and must demonstrate proficiency in English. It is desirable to communicate in Hindi and other regional Indian languages.”--which Ajay Shirke later said was “not a compulsion, but desirable”.