NEW DELHI, Jan 6: Allan Donald could well be Indian cricket team’s next bowling coach with the BCCI showing interest in the retired South African pacer.
Donald said he had an informal discussion with a cricket board official during the Champions League in October — where the former pacer was part of the commentary team — and he was told that the process might take some time.
“Yes, I had an informal chat during Champions League Twenty20 with an Indian board official,” the former pacer said. “I would be interested to talk to the BCCI regarding the bowling coach job that is currently vacant and I’m keen (on the job),” he said.
Donald, who is waiting for the BCCI to formally approach him for the job, said he was told in October that the process might take some time. After India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that chief coach Gary Kirsten was overburdened and the team was missing a bowling coach, BCCI is expected to complete the process before South Africa arrive here next month for a series featuring three One-dayers and two Test matches. Fellow South African Shaun Pollock is also being tipped as a possible candidate, having coached the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League where the former Protea captain worked with Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh. Pollock, however, refused to comment on it. India remains without a bowling coach since the BCCI sacked Venkatesh Prasad — along with fielding coach Robin Singh — in October after the team’s poor performance in the Twenty20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. Since his 2003 retirement, Donald had a short stint as England’s bowling coach in 2007 before he spent a year with Warwickshire as the head coach there. (PTI)
