A few tips for the six wise men

Most boards advertise for the job through domestic and international structures, receive numerous inquiries from prospective suitors and then allow sufficient time for the panel to interview all the potential candidates.

Last February, the South African cricket board put in an advertisement in national newspapers that ran for three weeks to find a coach — interim incumbent Ray Jennings’s tenure was due to end in May. A special panel will interview the prospective candidates and make a final decision soon.

Cricket Australia asks coaches to apply with advertisements as well following which their directors grill the candidates. England and New Zealand follow much the same procedure, with New Zealand setting deadlines for the cut-off date, the short-listing date and the recommendation to the board.

The West Indies cricket board advertises globally through agencies and the ICC before short-listing the aspirants. The president and the chief executive then form the committee and then rank the candidates in order of preference.

Last time round Greg Chappell was their first choice but when they couldn’t agree on certain terms, second choice Bennet King was selected.

Even Bangladesh, greenhorns to international cricket, could teach Big Briother a trick or two. The BCB has a cricket committee that decides on the procedure, scouts candidates worldwide and doesn’t advertise if they find good candidates. The cricket committee then proposes the name to the BCB’s advisory board, which then decides on the candidate.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are probably the only two boards in the world which don’t have a set procedure in appointing the coach.

The PCB’s Abbas Zaidi explained why. ‘‘There are only so many good coaches in world cricket today so it doesn’t require an advertisement’’, he told The Sunday Express. ‘‘Bob Woolmer was in town and we knew he was among the best in the world. We asked him and he agreed.’’

And India are better off than Sri Lanka, n official of that country’s cricket board told this paper — only half in jest. ‘‘At least you have a panel to pick the coach; here there is no procedure, no panel. Last time Aravinda D’Silva, who was vice-president of the board picked John Dyson on Tony Greig’s recommendation. It was a one-man selection panel.’’

With men of the stature Venkatraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri on the panel, there is no doubt they will choose the best candidate available to them. The trick is to ensure that the best candidates are indeed made available to them.