Ravi Shastri named head coach, Zaheer Khan new bowling coach

NEW DELHI: The BCCI today named Ravi Shastri as the new chief coach of the Indian cricket team with former fast bowling great Zaheer Khan being appointed the bowling coach for a period of two years.

“On Cricket Advisory Committee’s recommendation, we have decided to appoint Ravi Shastri as the chief coach while Zaheer Khan will be appointed bowling coach for a period of two years,” BCCI acting president CK Khanna confirmed the development today.

It will be third stint with the national team for 55- year-old Shastri, who was earlier a Cricket Manager during 2007 tour of Bangladesh and then Team Director from 2014 August to 2016 June during which India won Test overseas series versus Sri Lanka, reached the semi-finals of 2015 World Cup and World T20 semi-finals in 2016.

It was learnt that it was a fight between Shastri and Virender Sehwag but it was skipper Virat Kohli’s strong recommendation about Shastri’s earlier tenure that swung the deal in favour of BCCI’s ‘Man of All Seasons’.