Shiv Sunder Das named interim batting coach as BCCI picks support staff for England tour

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has picked an interim support staff to assist newly appointed head coach Ramesh Powar for India’s tour of England starting on June 16, a source close to the development revealed to Women’s CricZone. Former India opening batter Shiv Sunder Das will be the batting coach for the tour while no separate bowling coach has been named with Powar expected to look after the bowlers.



Former Delhi cricketer Abhay Sharma, who had stints at the NCA and with the Indian sides, will be the fielding coach. He was in charge of the side during the South Africa series. Physio Tracy Fernandes will continue her job for the series. Meanwhile, Nirja Desai will be the masseuse. Rajukuvardevi Gaekwad, Baroda women's selection panel chair, has been named as the manager for the tour in place of Trupti Bhattacharya, who served the role until the South Africa series.



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While this will only be an interim arrangement for the series this website understands that BCCI will be inviting new applications and appointing full-time contracted support staff starting with the tour of Australia in September. According to the new constitution that came in place according to Lodha reforms, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) picks the head coach while the selectors are in charge of picking the support staff.



Contracts for all members of India's support staff, including that of the head coach, expired in October 2020 and they were given an extension for the home series against South Africa in March. After that BCCI invited fresh applications for the head coach job and Powar was eventually appointed on May 13.



43-year-old Das played 23 Tests and 4 ODIs for India between 2000 and 2002. He has previously served as the coach of Barbados men’s side in West Indies, and also worked with the India A women's team for a brief stint in 2019-20. Sharma is a first-class cricketer with a over 80 matches under his belt and served as fielding coach of the India’s men side in 2016 and also has experience with the Under-19 and ‘A’ teams.



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The Indian squad is expected to assemble in Mumbai on May 19 for a two week quarantine period, after which they will depart for England on June 2. The tour consists of a one-off Test, followed by three ODIs and three T20Is.