Sandeep Patil ignored for Team India coach interview

Mumbai: In an interesting development, the high-profile Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI on Tuesday overlooked the candidature of Selection Committee chairman Sandeep Patil for Indian team’s chief coach job.

Patil confirmed to PTI that he has not received any invitation from the Board or the Committee to make a presentation but wished luck to whoever is selected for the coveted job.

“No, I haven’t received any invitation,” Patil said.

With CAC member Sourav Ganguly confirming that Tuesday is the last round of interviews being conducted, it was evident that Patil’s candidature has been snubbed.

Asked if there has been any communication on the part of BCCI to inform him as to why he did not even get a chance to present his case, Patil said, “No news on that front as yet.”

However Patil said that he has full faith in the CAC which has big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

“BCCI has a fabulous advisory Board and I am sure they will make the right choice. I will wish, whoever takes the charge — All The Best.”

Asked if he felt short-changed that he was not even considered for an interview or presentation, one of the heroes of the 1983 World Cup refused to be drawn into the debate.

“No regrets and no complaints. I have been given more than I deserve by the BCCI. I have total confidence in BCCI advisory Board and know for sure that they will make the right choice,” Patil said.

However it has been learnt that there has been different thought processes in the BCCI on Patil’s candidature.

Since he is a current Chairman, who has also been a part of selecting the squad for the West Indies tour, many felt that it is not right to recruit someone who selects the team and then becomes its coach.

Patil’s term ends in September and had he been called for the interview and selected, he would have straightaway shifted from one designation to another.

While Patil has been a success with the smaller teams like Kenya, whom he coached to 2003 World Cup semi-finals and also Oman, his only stint with the Indian team lasted barely six months during which they lost ODI tournaments in Singapore, Sharjah, Sri Lanka and Canada apart from Tests and ODI series in England.

Interestingly, current CAC member Ganguly’s Test debut happened at the Lord’s in 1996 when Patil was the coach of the team.