Balvinder Sandhu, Wasim Jaffer, Amol Muzumdar in race for Mumbai coach’s job

Balvinder Singh Sandhu, Wasim Jaffer and Amol Muzumdar

India's 1983 World Cup-winning swing bowler, Balvinder Singh Sandhu, former Test opener Wasim Jaffer and domestic stalwart Amul Muzumdar have thrown their hats into the ring for the Mumbai coach's job, making it a tough task for the Jatin Paranjape-led Mumbai Cricket Association's Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) to make their choice.

Apart from this trio, former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and ex-Mumbai wicketkeeper-batsman Sulakshan Kulkarni are the other prominent names, who have also applied for the post. Ex-Rajasthan coach Pradeep Sunderam, Umesh Patwal, who was appointed Mumbai's U-19 coach last season, ex-Mumbai U-23 coach Vinod Raghvan and Nandan Phadnis are also among the applicants. Muzumdar, who led Mumbai to the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy title, lost out to Ramesh Powar last March. Powar went on to help Mumbai win the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

However, former Mumbai coach Sulakshan, 54, who guided the Ajit Agarkar-led outfit to its 40th Ranji Trophy title in 2012-13 and Bahutule, 48, who was Gujarat's coach for the last two seasons, may find it tough to compete with Sandhu and Jaffer.

Paranjape confirmed to mid-day that the three-member CIC will be calling all the applicants for an interview. Former India batsman Vinod Kambli and left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni are the other two members of the CIC. "Hopefully, we will be conducting the coaches' interviews next week. We will invite all the applicants for the interview," Paranjape told mid-day on Monday which was also the last day to apply for the coach's job.

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