Anil Kumble in the contest for Indian cricket coach

MNA Sports Desk: Anil Kumble, former captain and the country’s uppermost wicket-taker in all forms gets in the contest for Indian cricket coach. He becomes the biggest name to have applied for the high-profile post of Indian cricket team’s coach.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has listed the number of candidates to be 57 without specifying any names, Kumble’s application makes it exciting as by sheer weight of his stature.

He would be a few notches above former team director Ravi Shastri and chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil.

“Yes, Kumble has applied for the post and probably is the biggest name doing the rounds. His name in the mix makes it very interesting,” a BCCI official said.

When questioned about his coaching permits, the official answered, “He has been a mentor in both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. Mentors are basically extension of coaches and no one can doubt Anil’s knowledge of the game. He has a towering personality and every member of this current team has huge respect for him.”

Kumble has 619 wickets from 132 Tests and 337 wickets in 271 ODIs, apart from 2506 Test match runs with an overseas hundred. He has also captained India for a year before retiring and is considered to be a credible voice in Indian cricket circles.

Kumble is understood to have submitted his application well before the June 10 deadline. One of the BCCI’s conditions for the top slot is that the candidate “should have successfully coached a cricket team of any of the member countries of the ICC, at the first class or at the International level.”

In terms of coaching, Kumble has mentored IPL teams Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. At present, Sanjay Bangar is the interim coach for the Indian team that is playing in Zimbabwe.

The BCCI needs to pick a coach ahead of India’s next month’s tour of the West Indies, where Virat  Kohli’s men will play four Tests. Subsequently, India has an exhaustive home-season, featuring 13 Tests, with the visitors being New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.