All-powerful CoA puts on hold Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid's appointments; Ravi Shastri to play big role

New Delhi: The drama over the appointment of Indian coaching support staff is not yet over. On Saturday, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai revealed that contracts have not been given to Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid, who were earlier reportedly confirmed as bowling and batting consultants respectively for overseas tours.

Rai also said that the support staff will only be confirmed after consultation with Ravi Shastri, for which a meeting has been arranged between the newly-appointed head coach and CoA's four-member panel, constituting acting Board President C K Khanna, CEO Rahul Johri, Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and Diana Edulji, with CEO as the Convener.

As per the minutes of the meeting accessed by PTI, the "appointments of other consultants will be decided by the committee in consultation with the head coach". It also reported that new four-member panel will reach out to CoA with its recommendations on July 22, three days after the team leaves for the Sri Lanka tour on July 19.

Shastri is in London, and the meeting is likely to be held once he comes back to India. It's also pertinent to mention that Shastri wants Bharat Arun as the full-time bowling coach, while retaining the services of Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar as batting and fielding coaches respectively. The duo was hand-picked by Shastri, when he became the team director in 2014.

This new development effectively puts a hold on the appointment of Dravid and Khan, for whatever roles the Cricket Advisory Committee of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman has designed for the two Indian legends.

"We have taken all the recommendations of the CAC for Ravi Shastri as head coach and we will further discuss with him appointment of other coaches. We have set up a committee and they will speak to them (CAC), communicate with them after talking to Shastri. The support staff has been decided in consultation with the head coach," Rai was quoted as saying after the meeting.

"Three appointments which are core to the coaching team have been decided. But we have to consult each one of them, we have to ascertain their willingness and have to ensure that there is no conflict of interest issue.

"There is no such thing as contract as yet. It's only a recommendation. It's not an appointment. A recommendation has been made and the CoA has to act on the recommendation, that recommendation will be acted upon in consultation with the head coach," he added.

Meanwhile, the CoA has approved the appointment of Shastri as India's new head coach. The three-member CAC had named Shastri as head coach while Dravid and Khan were appointed batting and bowling consultants respectively for specific overseas tours.

Yesterday, CAC member Ganguly said that Khan has been offered a contract of 150 days per season. Zaheer reportedly did not wish to commit more than 100 days, but with CAC insisting, it is reported that the done deal is for 150 days.

(With PTI inputs)