Bangar (right) will be India’s assistant coach

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

A four-member BCCI committee has decided to promote Sanjay Bangar to assistant coach of the Indian team, while Bharat Arun will continue on as bowling coach.

The decision was made following a recommendation by head coach Ravi Shastri.

R Sridhar was also retained as fielding coach, but Shastri confirmed that Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan will be used as consultants.

“I have spoken to both the individuals as good as three or four days ago,” Shastri said. “They are fantastic cricketers for India, and their inputs will be invaluable. They will be on board once they have spoken to the authorities concerned, so there are no issues on that.”

The BCCI committee, which comprises of BCCI CEO Rahul Johri (convener), acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, and Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji, had been established to figure out what roles Dravid and Zaheer would have.

On July 11, the BCCI released a statement in which Dravid and Zaheer were named overseas Test batting consultant and bowling consultant respectively.

However, CoA chairman Vinod Rai insisted that their names were put forward only as recommendations.

When questioned about all the confusion, Shastri said: “I was in England. I was watching tennis. I was very clear in my mind what my core team will be. What you just heard is my core team.”

Choudhary added: “In the first place, I am absolutely clear in my view that it was not a fiasco. As Ravi explained, once he was appointed head coach, he obviously had to think of his responsibilities which come with the appointment.

“As he has made abundantly clear, he wanted his core team. The other two gentlemen [Dravid and Zaheer] he has spoken to personally, [and] they will be consultants.”

Upon being asked why the BCCI announced the appointments of Dravid and Zaheer, Choudhary said: “I think what I just said answers the question. Nothing more needs to be said.”