Allan Donald could very well be on his way to becoming India’s bowling coach very soon. Talking to media, the former South African pace bowler said that the BCCI officials had spoken to him in the month of October about a possible position with the Indian side as the bowling coach.
Venkatesh Prasad was India’s bowling coach before this but was sacked after being in the job for more than one year. The reasons for the sacking were not known, and it had come out as a shock for most of those around including the coach himself, but it was said that India’s performance in the Champions Trophy and the ICC World T20 before that had spelt doom for the coach.
Allan Donald
Donald also said that while the officials had sounded him out, they had also told him that it would take some time for them to arrive at the decision.
Describing it as an informal talk with the officials, Donald said that he was definitely interested in the role and he would be a fool not to consider it. He said,
“Yes, I had an informal chat during Champions League Twenty20 with an Indian board official. I would be interested to talk to the BCCI regarding the bowling coach job that is currently vacant and I am keen on the job.”
Donald is a former South African pace bowler and has also been a head coach for the Warwickshire county side. However, he had remained there for one year only before ending his contract because he wanted to give more time to his family.
During his stint for the county, Donald had also come in touch with India’s pace bowler S. Sreesanth. It was Donald who had suggested to the authorities of the county to get in Sreesanth, a bowler, who was known to bowl with a lot of heart and also known to overstep the behaviour line on occasions. However, Donald had later said that Sreesanth will need to mend his ways about the way he trains before a game in order to become a force to reckon with over a period of time.
Shaun Pollock is another bowling coach who has been in the reckoning for the role. Pollock has been a part of the Mumbai Indians side during the IPL and had later joined the side as a bowling consultant. The BCCI will want to appoint someone before the start of the South African series.
(Image credit cricketworld.com)
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