BCCI to appoint bowling coach tomorrow

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's Working Committee will meet at New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the logistics and administrative measures for India's ice-breaking tour of Pakistan and was also expected to appoint a new bowling coach for the team.

The meeting will also deliberate at length on the MoU signed with the Pakistan Cricket Board and also take up a host of other issues related to next month's tour, including insurance cover for the players.

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With former Australian left-arm seamer Bruce Reid not being available for the Pakistan tour due to personal reasons, the Working Committee members were likely to appoint a former Indian cricketer as the bowling coach for the trip.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly is keen to have the services of a bowling coach for the challenging 40-day tour, particularly in the light of fitness worries to some of the frontline bowlers like Zaheer khan, Anil Kumble, Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra. Off-spinner Harbhajan is ruled out due to a finger injury.

Ganguly's statement that the team would have an Indian as the bowling coach has raised speculations that former pace spearhead Javagal Srinath, who retired from international cricket in November last year, could be roped in for the job.

The report of the three-member BCCI team, which went to Pakistan recently to assess the security arrangements, would also be discussed at the meeting.

The six-point agenda also includes a discussion on the recommendations of the Marketing Committee with regard to the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Board.

The Board has drawn up a series of programmes, including an exhibition cricket match between a World XI and Indian XI, to mark the occasion. The BCCI has also formed a Heritage Committee comprising several former cricketers to chalk out programmes to celebrate the year in a befitting manner.

Apart from confirming the minutes of the last Working Committee meeting held in Kolkata, the meeting will also discuss the recommendations of the Col. C K Nayudu Awards Committee.