Mumbai: The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) on Thursday refuted a report on a website that it was planning to appoint an Indian assistant coach in place of bowling coach Joe Dawes, whose contract is unlikely to be extended in the wake of consistent poor show by the bowlers. “Nothing of this sort is being planned and this is not going to come up at the Working Committee meeting on Friday,” said Board secretary Sanjay Patel.
“We have to take stock of the situation by talking to the coach (Fletcher). India is now at the Asia Cup,” added Patel.
Patel had earlier informed that the Board officials will have a meeting with Fletcher and Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the conclusion of the World Twenty20, which is scheduled in Bangladesh from April 6.The coach’s contractual tenure, as well as those of bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding coach Trevor Penney, ends on March 31.
The Cricinfo report, quoting an unnamed BCCI insider, said that while the tenure of Fletcher and Penney are expected to be extended till the 2015 World Cup, Dawes is likely to be given the boot because of the recent poor display of the Indian bowlers overseas. “A BCCI insider confirmed that most of the BCCI bigwigs are ‘quite happy’ with the way Fletcher and Penney have been handling the team,” the report stated. “The BCCI hasn’t been mulling over a like-for-like replacement for Dawes.
Instead of a bowling coach, the appointment of an Indian assistant coach is being discussed. A BCCI insider revealed the move would take into consideration the availability of “top coaches in India now”.
