The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is facing a flood of applications for the head coach position of the Indian cricket team, but a large number seem to be fake.
The deadline for applications closed on May 27th, and according to The Indian Express, a large portion come from applicants using fake names, including those of cricketing legends and prominent politicians.
Fake applications for Indian cricket team head coach role
Among the fabricated applications received by the BCCI were names like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag – all former Indian cricket stars. The charade extended beyond the cricketing world, with applications supposedly coming from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
This flood of fake applications started on May 13th, when the BCCI opened the application process through Google Forms. This method, while seemingly convenient, has proven susceptible to impersonation.
A Recurring Problem for the BCCI
This isn’t the BCCI’s first brush with fake applicants. Back in 2022, when they sought a head coach, a staggering 5000 applications came from imposters using celebrity names.
Despite the past experience, the BCCI opted for Google Forms again this time. A BCCI official explained the reasoning: “Last year too, the BCCI received such a response… The reason the BCCI had to invite applications on Google forms is it’s easy to scrutinise the names of applicants in one sheet.”
The Real Requirements for the Next Head Coach
While the fake applications create a needless hurdle, the BCCI has clearly outlined the qualities they seek in the next head coach. The chosen candidate will be responsible for the team until the 2027 50-over World Cup in South Africa.
The new head coach will take over soon after the upcoming T20 World Cup held in the USA and Caribbean. This means the successor to Rahul Dravid, whose tenure began in December 2021, will be announced shortly. Dravid has opted not to extend his contract.
The current head coach Rahul Dravid has opted not to apply for the team India’s head coach role. The front-runner for the role is Gautam Gambhir, who recently won the title of IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor. Stephen Fleming is another name being approached to apply for the role. He is a 5-time IPL champion as a head coach with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The BCCI now faces the challenge of sifting through the real applications and identifying the most qualified candidate to lead the Indian cricket team towards future success. While the fake applications add unnecessary complexity, the true focus remains on finding the ideal person to guide the team on the field.
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