Ravi Shastri to remain Team Director till 2016 World T20, three assistant coaches also get extension.

Ravi Shastri, the Indian cricket team’s director, will continue in the role till the end of the World T20 to be held at home early next year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.

Shastri was assigned the role after India’s loss in England in the Test series last year. Shastri, 53, will continue to be supported by assistant coaches Sanjay Bangar (batting), Bharat Arun (bowling) and Ramakrishnan Sridhar (fielding), whose tenures have also been extended until the March 11-April 3 tournament.

Even though the BCCI initially planned to appoint a head coach after Duncan Fletcher left in March when his term came to an end after India’s semi-final defeat at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Shastri’s extended stint as director means the current coaching set-up is the preferred choice.

It is learnt that the feedback from the players, including India Test skipper Virat Kohli, about Shastri’s influence on the team has been largely positive. Moreover, after India — under Kohli —won its first Test series in Sri Lanka in 18 years, the cricket advisory committee recommended the extension of Shastri’s tenure.

The series win over Sri Lanka was also Kohli’s first as captain and was his full-series against a major Test team. India lost the first Test at Galle, but bounced back to win the next two at Colombo.

The BCCI had named former batting greats Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman to a cricket advisory committee. “Based on the recommendations of the Cricket Advisory Committee, the BCCI has extended the appointment of Mr. Ravi Shastri as the Team director of the Indian Cricket Team till the ICC World T20 2016,” the board said in a statement.

Source : The Indian Express