Is Sandeep Patil out of the race for Team India coach post?

Current chief selector and former Indian cricketer not called for today's head coach interview; Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and Tom Moody to chat with advisory panel

Kolkata: Former India coach and current chairman of selectors, Sandeep Patil appears out of the race to become the team's head coach.

Sandeep Patil. Pic/Atul Kamble

It is learnt that erstwhile India captains Ravi Shastri and Anil Kumble will be interviewed for the post here today alongwith Australian Tom Moody, who has coached Sri Lanka and Indian Premier League franchises Kings XI Punjab and more recently, Indian Premier League 2016 champions, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Patil (59) has not been called to Kolkata. "At the moment, I have not been called for an interview. I thought I had the right credentials hence I applied for the post. I have no regrets and I am not unhappy," Patil said yesterday.

Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, who are part of the three-man Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), are expected to interview Shastri, Kumble and Moody at the Taj Bengal from 1:30 pm. It is learnt that Tendulkar and Shastri are not in India (Tendulkar in London; Shastri in an Asian country) and will be available via video conference.

Ravi Shastri

Former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale is the coordinator of the interview process. Patil, who surprisingly threw his hat in the ring, reiterated that he is not sour at the latest development. "I will have absolutely no complains if not invited (for the interview) or selected. I am very happy with what I have done in my career. My wishes will always be there for anybody who gets the job.

"I was lucky to have played for India and I am very happy with what the BCCI has given me — coach of India under-19, India A, the Indian team, National Cricket Academy director and now chief selector. I couldn't have asked for more," he said. Patil was the most experienced of Indian applicants having coached several teams in India apart from Kenya and Oman. Despite an illustrious performer like Kumble applying for the post, mid-day learns that Shastri is still the favourite.

Shastri, still favourite
Kumble could be backed by Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman, but Shastri has strong support from Test captain Virat Kohli and the trio will treat that as an important factor. Another factor that will work for Shastri is his familiarity with the team since the English summer of 2014.

(With inputs from Clayton Murzello)

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