Kochi Tuskers coach Lawson eyes Oz chief selector ‘option’

Melbourne: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision to terminate Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi Tuskers’ contract has forced coach Geoff Lawson to declare that he wants to be Cricket Australia (CA)’s new chairman of selectors.

Lawson has one year left on his contract with Kochi Tuskers, but his future with the IPL team is murky. CA has decided to appoint a full-time national selector, ending Andrew Hilditch’s tenure as chairman of selectors, following several key recommendations from the Argus review. “I’m very interested in being chairman of selectors, particularly given what’s happening in Kochi,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lawson, as saying. “With the Kochi situation, it’s changed in the last 48 hours. I have to look at all my options,” he added. The BCCI had terminated the contract of the IPL franchise on Monday for non-payment of an annual bank guarantee of 156 crore rupees. “Because of the irremediable breach committed by the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to encash the bank guarantee in their possession and also terminate the franchise,” BCCI President N Srinivasan had told reporters after the board’s Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. ANI