India Women Head Coach Race: The Indian Women’s Cricket Team could have their first head coach in two years on or by July 3 as per the latest reports. The BCCI has made a five-man shortlist for the same. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) is expected to conduct interviews in the coming days. Domestic stalwarts Amol Muzumdar and Tushar Arothe are in contention, alongside Jon Lewis.
As per ESPN Cricinfo, Amol Muzumdar, Tushar Arothe, and Jon Lewis are three of the five contenders on BCCI’s shortlist to lead the Indian women’s team. The CAC will interview the candidates on July 1-2 in Mumbai before making a decision. Jon Lewis, who was in contention for the England Women’s Cricket team role, will present his case virtually. Lewis lost out on the job to his namesake Jon Lewis, who also served on the backroom staff of the UP Warriorz.
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Amol Muzumdar has been an active coach since he called time on a 21-year first-class career. He served as the head coach of Mumbai until last season and has an offer from Baroda in hand. It is believed that Muzumdar is holding out for the Women’s team role. He will make a call on Baroda’s offer after the CAC decision. The former Mumbai stalwart never played for India but has coaching experience with Rajasthan Royals and the South Africa team on their tour to India.
Fellow Ranji legend Tushar Arothe has had two stints with Indian women, most recently between April 2017 and July 2018. During this time, India reached the final of the 2017 World Cup. Arothe however stepped down following strained relations with several senior players.
Jon Lewis has had stints with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and now is the head coach of The Hundred side Trent Rockets. India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur will feature for the Rockets this season. Whether Lewis will have to quit his post for the BCCI job remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, it is unconfirmed whether current interim coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar is part of the shortlist. The former India batter had been handed the top job since the T20 World Cup. He is likely to take charge of the squad for the series against Bangladesh. Harmanpreet Kaur and Co haven’t played international cricket since the T20 World Cup in South Africa in February-March. The new head coach will be given a longer rope with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2024 and the 50-over World Cup in India in 2025 falling within the tenure.
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