It may appear peculiar, but Anil Kumble, who was the head coach of the Indian team that won the Test series in the West Indies (2-0) and the home international season against New Zealand (3-0), England (4-0), Bangladesh (1-0) and Australia (2-1) over a period of eight months, has to endure the whims and fancies of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in order to be in contention for the same post after the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy.

During this eight-month period, India also got the better of New Zealand 3-2 and England 2-1 in the ODI series and England 2-1 in the Twenty20 series. It had lost the Twenty20 series in the West Indies 0-1.

Kumble, though, has been saved from the rigmarole of applying for the post. He will be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) members Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman, and asked to make a presentation. Last year, the CAC had recommended Kumble ahead of Ravi Shastri for the post.

Having confirmed the short limited over series (five ODIs and one T20) in the West Indies from June 23, the BCCI on Thursday announced that it was inviting applications for the “position of the head coach of Indian men’s cricket team”, from interested candidates, but stated that Kumble will be a direct entry for the process.

A press release from the BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary said: “To ensure a fair and completely transparent process, a nominee of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) will oversee the entire process along with the CAC.”

May 31 deadline

The BCCI has asked interested candidates to send their applications online to coachappointment@bcci.tv by May 31.

Almost a year ago, the BCCI had advertised for the post of Head Coach after Shastri’s tenture as Team Director concluded with India’s unsuccessful campaign in the ICC World Twenty20; and the moment Kumble applied for the position, it became a foregone conclusion that he would be appointed as Head Coach, which the BCCI did at a Working Committee meeting in Dharamshala.

Sources privy to the meeting that took place between BCCI office-bearers, the CoA and Kumble in Hyderabad recently, said that once the CoA Chairman Vinod Rai was told about selection process adopted last year, he wanted the same to be adhered to. Hence the Board’s decision to invite applications through an advertisement on its website and the media.

Kumble has recently drawn a lot of attention and flak too, allegedly from BCCI officials, after he presented a comprehensive support staff arrangement and enhanced remuneration structure for the senior Indian team to the CoA and BCCI officials. It was Rai who had asked Kumble to make a presentation on central contracts and match fee structures during the Test series against Australia.