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Chennai: The Indian cricket board (<keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>) is set to request coaching director <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> to stay on in charge till the World Cup in February-March, 2015. <keyword id="114511" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Duncan-Fletcher">Duncan Fletcher</keyword>, the under-fire coach, too is likely to hold on to his post unless the Zimbabwean himself decides to quit. 
 
Board authorities feel Shastri played a major role in the turnaround of the team in the ODIs in England and his 'performance' as the coaching director has been appreciated by every single player of the team. Shastri's motivational and communication skills too have been appreciated and the board will try its best to ensure he stays on board till 2015. 
 
"He took charge at a very short notice and made a huge difference. If he stays on, it will be a big boost for our team. We will sit with him and discuss how to take it forward," a source told TOI. 
 
Shastri has his media commitments and it will take some doing for BCCI authorities to keep him in the saddle. But the fact that Shastri has always responded to difficult situations makes them positive. "Let us see what he feels about it. If all goes well, he should be there with the team when we play in Australia and the World Cup," the source added. 
 
Meanwhile, Shastri's positive responses about Fletcher is set to work in the 67-year-old's favour. "Fletcher is tremendous. He is technically very sound, is a solid character, is respected and a fatherly figure," Shastri said. Even though board mandarins haven’t got Shastri’s report, they feel the director is happy with Fletcher’s inputs during the series. "The members will discuss the report in the working committee and take a final call on the issue. We will also look into the interests of the team," the source added. 
 
Interestingly, it can be noted that skipper MS Dhoni had said during the ODI series that Fletcher will stay on as the coach, a statement which hadn’t gone down too well with some board officials. But the ODI victories have made a significant difference and things are likely to work in the captain’s favour. 
 The BCCI is also happy with the inputs of Bharath Arun, <keyword id="66286" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sanjay-Bangar">Sanjay Bangar</keyword> and fielding coach Sridhar. "The details of it will be worked out over the course of the next few days. We will have to see about the contracts of Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney, who were sent on leave from the middle of the tour," the source added.

BCCI To Urge Shastri To stay on: Sources

It is amazing how nameless senior officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India have come out of the woodwork to point out that India <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> has crossed the line by saying that <keyword id="114511" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Duncan-Fletcher">Duncan Fletcher</keyword> would remain <keyword id="6371482" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="coach">coach</keyword> of the Indian cricket team till the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. 
 In <keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>'s none-too-transparent and closed world, it is hard to figure out the tenure of the coach but reports in March this year ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 suggested that Fletcher had been reassured by the BCCI president in abeyance N Srinivasan that he would remain in charge till the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. 
 
So what crime did Dhoni commit by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-vs-England-2014-MS-Dhoni-says-Duncan-Fletcher-will-lead-India-into-2015-World-Cup/articleshow/40859991.cms">stating what he perceives as fact</a>? What line <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-in-England-2014-BCCI-takes-exception-to-MS-Dhonis-comments-on-Duncan-Fletcher/articleshow/40869884.cms">did he cross</a>? Is it not imperative that the board shows greater concern in the arresting the decline of India's Test fortunes overseas and addresses a number of issues that can help Indian cricket get back on the rails rather than spend time discussing Dhoni's alleged transgressions? 
 
BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has been quoted as saying that it seemed to him that <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-vs-England-2014-BCCI-dubs-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-views-on-Duncan-Fletcher-as-personal-opinion/articleshow/40865967.cms">it was Dhoni's personal opinon</a>. Surely, he was privy to the decision to extend Fletcher's contract till the World Cup. "There has been no discussion on his removal. We told him that we have a lot of faith in his coaching abilities and he should not be worried about," Patel had said in March. 
 It is another matter that some of recent actions around the Indian team have been contrary to Dhoni's assertions. For instance, his stout defence of <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword>'s stroke selection in the third Test against England Southampton was followed up by not playing him in either of the remaining Tests. 
 The captain's argument in favour of <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> - "The problem is who do you have to replace Jadeja?" he asked after the thrashing at <keyword id="2023" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Old-Trafford">Old Trafford</keyword> - was followed up by axing the Saurashtra left-hander from the XI for the Oval Test match in favour of <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>. Given Dhoni's recent track record, it makes us wonder if sands of time are running out on the coach. 
 
Make no mistake, Dhoni's captaincy in Test matches has left a lot to be desired and India must quickly appoint a new leader so that a fresh thought-process can be infused. He must, however, remain captain of the limited-over side since he has few peers when it comes to leading the team in the shorter formats. 
 To revert to the nameless Board officials, they must be kidding themselves if they think all stakeholders of the game will believe that <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> will be in a position to give the mandarins in the Board feedback on Fletcher's inputs after watching him over a couple of weeks in which the team is slated to play five ODIs and Twenty20 game against England. 
 And, how would Shastri be in a position to offer a fair review of <keyword id="90319" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="bowling-coach">bowling coach</keyword> Joe Dawes and <keyword id="91365" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="fielding-coach">fielding coach</keyword> Trevor Penney's work? They are not even around since BCCI, in a knee-jerk reaction to the Test defeats, has given Fletcher a new set of assistant coaches for India's limited-over squad in England. 
 
With Srinivasan having no direct say on the running of BCCI, it appears as if a new group - we must refrain from using the more political word 'coterie' - is straining its every sinew to become the new power centre within the board. The surfacing of a few nameless officials in the recent weeks is a reflection of the bloodless succession plan in the BCCI.

Dhoni Crossed No Lines As BCCI Had Extended Fletcher Contract

Till the BCCI finds a permanent coach, former captain <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> has been retained as Director of the Indian cricket team for Bangladesh tour starting June 10. 
 
He is a stop-gap arrangement for the tour till BCCI finds a successor to Duncan Fletcher, whose tenure ended earlier this year after the World Cup. 
 
Earlier this year, Shastri served as Team Director during the tour of Australia and the subsequent World Cup. 
 
"The BCCI wishes to inform that Mr. Ravi Shastri, former India Captain, has been appointed as Director of the Indian cricket team for the tour of Bangladesh, starting on 10 June 2015," BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement. 
 
The BCCI will appoint a new coach only after consulting the newly-formed advisory committee of the body, which comprises cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. 
 
India will play one Test and three One-Day Internationals in Bangladesh from June 10. 
 
Meanwhile, Shastri has represented India in 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India and was part of the side, which lifted the 1983 World Cup. 
 
He had travelled with the Indian team to Bangladesh in 2007 also as cricket manager after Greg Chappell resigned from the coach's post following the World Cup debacle that year. 
 
Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman were inducted into the BCCI to guide the Board. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Ravi Shastri to remain Indian
cricket team’s Director

Mumbai: <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> has been appointed <keyword id="199236" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="director-of-cricket">director of cricket</keyword> for the upcoming ODI series against England, while two other former India players - Sanjay Bangar and Bharat Arun - will assist him and Duncan Fletcher. According to a statement released by the <keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>, Fletcher will remain the head coach in the series while Shastri will be in charge of the affairs of the Indian team. 
 
Shastri, who was the interim coach for the tour to Bangladesh in 2007, was also the team manager in that series. The decision comes following India's 3-1 Test series defeat in England, where despite leading the five-match series 1-0 after two Test matches, India suffered three heavy losses on the trot, raising questions on the coaching staff that has now overseen India's fifth straight series defeat away from home. 
 The BCCI have, as a result, overhauled the coaching staff for the ODI series. The <keyword id="90319" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bowling-coach">bowling coach</keyword>, Joe Dawes and fielding coach, Trevor Penny, have been rested and have been replaced by Sanjay Bangar and Bharat Arun. Both will be the assistant coaches to Fletcher for the ODIs that are scheduled to begin from August 25th. 
 
A BCCI statement said that Penney and Dawes were "given a break", following criticism of the Indian bowling and fielding during the Test series, where catches were frequently dropped and runs were leaked. "In their continuing efforts to re-energise the support to the team, the BCCI has given a break to the bowling coach Mr. Joe Dawes and the fielding coach, Mr. Trevor Penney, for the one-day series," the statement said. 
 Bangar, who was appointed coach of the Kings <keyword id="311588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="XI-Punjab">XI Punjab</keyword> franchise ahead of the 2014 IPL, led the team to the final for the first time where they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders. The former India allrounder retired from first-class cricket in early 2013 before taking up a coaching role with India A. Before the Kings XI Punjab appointment, Bangar had served on the coaching staff of various IPL teams. 
 
Former India fast bowler Bharat Arun, on the other hand, coached the Under-19 team during the recently-concluded Quadrangular series in Australia in 2012, and was part of the National Cricket Academy's coaching staff earlier. 
 
In addition to Bangar and Arun, R Sridhar will join the team as a fielding coach. Sridhar was assistant coach of the side during the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, and has worked as a fielding coach for the Kings XI Punjab.

Ravi Shastri To Be In Charge Of Indian Team For England ODIs

India have all but taken the gloomy scenario of being bowled out inside 350 and facing a tricky final two sessions in the first Test in England out of the equation, thanks to the 111-run tenth-wicket stand between <keyword id="479464" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bhuvneshwar-Kumar">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="967087" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mohammed-Shami">Mohammed Shami</keyword> on Thursday. It is time to create more pressure on the home team with smart bowling when play resumes on Friday. 
 If the Indian pacers put all their eggs in the reverse swing basket, they can be in for a long day's work and come face to face with frustration like the England bowlers. It is imperative that skipper <keyword id="10138" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</keyword> does not let that happen by encouraging them to combine creativity, especially with the slower ones, with perseverance, patience and discipline that the track demands. 
 Former England captain Michael Atherton pointed out that most of the home batsmen are naturally inclined to play off the backfoot. The Indian bowlers must look to exploit that on a track on which the ball is not bouncing as much as on traditional English surfaces. As also the influence the low bounce has had on umpire Bruce Oxenford, particularly in ruling <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword> leg before. 
 
Indeed, if India are to try and gain a psychological advantage over the home side, they must look to take wickets rather than hope that containing the batsmen will lead to their downfall. They must get the batsmen to play a lot more deliveries than they did on Thursday evening. The batsmen will only be too happy to let the cricket ball go through - at whatever height - to Dhoni. 
 Besides, with a clutch of left-handers in the England batting line-up, it is a moot point that India can rue the absence of R Ashwin's off-spin. But <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> can step up the plate by trying to use the small rough being created outside the left-hander's off-stump to try and create pressure on the crease-tied home batsmen. 
 <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword> and Bhuvneshwar Kumar should also raise the bar in testing the left-handers by getting the ball to angle across them. For that to happen, Ishant will have to land the cricket ball in better areas than he has done thus far to <keyword id="1412106" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Gary-Ballance">Gary Ballance</keyword>. On a track of this nature, bowlers must fancy their chances of getting a batsman bowled or trapping him in front more than getting him. 
 
 
 It will be interesting to see how analyst Sandeep Raj Anand prods the think tank of Dhoni, <keyword id="6371482" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="coach">coach</keyword> Duncan Fletcher and bowling coach Joe Dawes to come up with a plan of action for the third day. With smart bowling and captaincy on the third day of the Test, Dhoni can ensure that spectator interest in the game stretches over the weekend rather than ebb away.

Dhoni's Bowlers Have To Combine Creativity With Discipline

It is the first time in over two decades that India will tour England without <keyword id="118008" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sachin-Ramesh-Tendulkar">Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar</keyword>. The last time India were in England for a four-Test series in 2011, they were beaten 0-4 despite <keyword id="2727" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Dravid">Rahul Dravid</keyword> scoring three Test centuries. 
 That series, billed around Tendulkar's impending 100th century in international cricket, saw India's pace spearhead <keyword id="12644" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Zaheer-Khan">Zaheer Khan</keyword> pull out with a hamstring injury on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s. It triggered India's most colossal drubbing since 1959. India returned empty handed as they lost their No. 1 Test rank to England. Andrew Strauss was at the helm of affairs for England then. 
 
A lot of water has flown under the bridge. As India prepare for the first Test starting July 9, England skipper Alastair Cook is under immense scrutiny after his side's 0-1 loss to Sri Lanka. What has made things worse is his own form. He has managed just 601 runs in the last 24 innings, averaging just 25 runs an innings. 
 England have picked a pace-oriented attack for the first Test and may influence the Indian think tank to respond in kind, picking <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> as the only spin bowling option at Trent Bridge. India's pace attack will be chosen among Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Aaron, Pankaj Singh and Ishwar Pandey. 
 
 
Yet, it is this attack that is India's biggest concern at the moment. Pankaj Singh and Ishwar Pandey are yet to make their debuts while Shami, Bhuvneshwar and Aaron have never played a Test in England leaving Ishant (55 Tests) to spearhead the Indian attack in the grueling series. 
 
If coach Duncan Fletcher is to be believed, this inexperience brings the unpredictability and excitement. "It is nice sometimes, because being unpredictable they will play some exciting cricket. There are some very exciting cricketers in the squad who would go on to become very good cricketers for India," Fletcher said ahead of the series. 
 
Ishant has shown his mettle in the past – two six-wicket hauls in New Zealand will have boosted his confidence amply. Bhuvneshwar has impressed everyone with his swing and ability to hit the right length. Shami has had a fairly good run in Test cricket and will relish bowling in England. Varun Aaron is the fastest of the Indian pacers and can bring a cutting edge to the attack. 
 
Pandey, from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, is a promising fast-medium bowler and can carry the burden of the Indian attack. He has been rewarded for claiming 78 wickets in Ranji Trophy over the last two seasons. Similarly, Pankaj Singh has been picked since he had a very good first class season behind him. 
 
Former India captain and former Chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar highlighted his concern about this attack before the series. "It will be tough for India. We need to have bowlers who can get them out twice but unfortunately I don't see any bowler," Vengsarkar said. The bowlers on tour will have to prove that they were chosen on merit and the belief that they can raise their game.

India Face Pace Conundrum In English Test

It is amazing how nameless senior officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India have come out of the woodwork to point out that India <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> has crossed the line by saying that Duncan Fletcher would remain <keyword id="6371482" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="coach">coach</keyword> of the Indian cricket team till the ICC <keyword id="3859" type="SPORT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cricket-World-Cup">Cricket World Cup</keyword> 2015. 
 In <keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>'s none-too-transparent and closed world, it is hard to figure out the tenure of the coach but reports in March this year ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 suggested that Fletcher had been reassured by the BCCI president in abeyance N Srinivasan that he would remain in charge till the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. 
 So what crime did <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> commit by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-vs-England-2014-MS-Dhoni-says-Duncan-Fletcher-will-lead-India-into-2015-World-Cup/articleshow/40859991.cms">stating what he perceives as fact</a>? What line <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-in-England-2014-BCCI-takes-exception-to-MS-Dhonis-comments-on-Duncan-Fletcher/articleshow/40869884.cms">did he cross</a>? Is it not imperative that the board shows greater concern in the arresting the decline of India's Test fortunes overseas and addresses a number of issues that can help Indian cricket get back on the rails rather than spend time discussing Dhoni's alleged transgressions? 
 
BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has been quoted as saying that it seemed to him that <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-vs-England-2014-BCCI-dubs-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-views-on-Duncan-Fletcher-as-personal-opinion/articleshow/40865967.cms">it was Dhoni's personal opinon</a>. Surely, he was privy to the decision to extend Fletcher's contract till the World Cup. "There has been no discussion on his removal. We told him that we have a lot of faith in his coaching abilities and he should not be worried about," Patel had said in March. 
 It is another matter that some of recent actions around the Indian team have been contrary to Dhoni's assertions. For instance, his stout defence of <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword>'s stroke selection in the third Test against England Southampton was followed up by not playing him in either of the remaining Tests. 
 The captain's argument in favour of <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> - "The problem is who do you have to replace Jadeja?" he asked after the thrashing at Old Trafford - was followed up by axing the Saurashtra left-hander from the XI for the Oval Test match in favour of <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>. Given Dhoni's recent track record, it makes us wonder if sands of time are running out on the coach. 
 
Make no mistake, Dhoni's captaincy in Test matches has left a lot to be desired and India must quickly appoint a new leader so that a fresh thought-process can be infused. He must, however, remain captain of the limited-over side since he has few peers when it comes to leading the team in the shorter formats. 
 To revert to the nameless Board officials, they must be kidding themselves if they think all stakeholders of the game will believe that <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> will be in a position to give the mandarins in the Board feedback on Fletcher's inputs after watching him over a couple of weeks in which the team is slated to play five ODIs and Twenty20 game against England. 
 
And, how would Shastri be in a position to offer a fair review of bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding coach Trevor Penney's work? They are not even around since BCCI, in a knee-jerk reaction to the Test defeats, has given Fletcher a new set of assistant coaches for India's limited-over squad in England. 
 
With Srinivasan having no direct say on the running of BCCI, it appears as if a new group - we must refrain from using the more political word 'coterie' - is straining its every sinew to become the new power centre within the board. The surfacing of a few nameless officials in the recent weeks is a reflection of the bloodless succession plan in the BCCI.

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BCCI To Urge Shastri To stay on: Sources

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Dhoni Crossed No Lines As BCCI Had Extended Fletcher Contract

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Ravi Shastri to remain Indian cricket team’s Director

BI India Bureau

Ravi Shastri To Be In Charge Of Indian Team For England ODIs

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Dhoni's Bowlers Have To Combine Creativity With Discipline

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India Face Pace Conundrum In English Test

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Dhoni Crossed No Lines As BCCI Had Extended Fletcher Contract

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