MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar apply as BCCI receives more than 3000 applications to replace Rahul Dravid as India's Head Coach

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received more than 3,000 applications for the head coach role of India's men's national cricket team. However, according to The Indian Express, the Indian board received fake applications, including those falsely using the names of politicians and former cricketers.

Current head coach Rahul Dravid is set to conclude his tenure after the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA in June. The BCCI advertised the Team India head coach position on May 13 via Google Forms and received a significant number of daily applications until the deadline on May 27.

The BCCI will face a challenging task in filtering genuine applications from the numerous submissions. The board also received around 5,000 fake applications under celebrity names when seeking a new head coach last time. Previously, applications were sent by email, but this time, the BCCI used Google Forms.

The Story Is Similar This Time - BCCI

According to The Indian Express, many fake applications have been submitted for the head coach position, using the names of prominent figures like cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, as well as politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

A BCCI official highlighted the challenge of handling fake applications, stating that imposters had also applied last year. The official explained to The Indian Express that using Google Forms makes it easier to scrutinize applicants' names on a single sheet.

"Last year too, the BCCI received such a response where imposters applied, and the story is similar this time. The reason the BCCI had to invite applications on Google forms is it’s easy to scrutinize the names of applicants in one sheet," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Rahul Dravid reportedly decided not to reapply for the position with the Indian team, preferring to spend more time with his family. The BCCI hasn't revealed the names of genuine applicants yet. There is much speculation about who might take on the prestigious role of coaching the Indian men's team.

Shortlisted candidates for the head coach position will undergo interviews by the Cricket Advisory Committee, including Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape. The new head coach's term will last for three and a half years, beginning from July 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2027.

"The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a world-class Indian cricket team that delivers sustained success in all conditions and formats, inspiring current and future generations of cricketers and stakeholders with their approach to the game. The Head Coach will have overall responsibility for the performance and management of the India Men’s team in all three formats of the game."

"The Head Coach will lead a team of specialist coaches and support staff and will be responsible for defining their roles, their performance, and ongoing development. The Head Coach will be responsible for reviewing, maintaining, and enforcing the disciplinary codes within the Indian Men’s team."

Former Zimbabwe cricketer Duncan Fletcher was the last foreign head coach of Team India. Fletcher assumed the role after Gary Kirsten won the 2011 World Cup and remained in charge until 2015.

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