BCCI appoints Ravi Shastri as Team India coach and Zaheer Khan as bowling coach. It is not a surprise as former India all rounder and captain Ravi Shastri, who was team director of the Indian men’s cricket team from August 2014 to April 2016, has been appointed as head coach for a two-year period until the end of the 2019 ICC World Cup. Former fast bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan was appointed the bowling coach and former batting great and captain Rahul Dravid was named batting consultant for specific overseas tours.

An email from the BCCI just before 11 pm on Tuesday confirmed the respective appointments.

While Shastri brings with him a wealth of experience, both as player and as coach, Zaheer assumed the mentoring role to a young fast bowling unit even during his playing days with India. His inputs will be of immense value to young Indian fast bowlers, who have shown tremendous potential in the last couple of years. As the Indian team is to play Test cricket overseas in the next two years, Dravid’s expertise as batting consultant will be immensely helpful for youngsters.

Zaheer, who last played international cricket in 2014, is considered to be one of finest exponents of swing bowling India has ever produced.

Having initially not applied for the post, but belatedly joining the fray once the BCCI extended the deadline to accept applications until July 9, the 55-year-old beat out a list of applicants comprising former India opener Virender Sehwag, former Sri Lanka coach and current coach of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad Tom Moody, current Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput and former Pakistan and Bangladesh coach and director of West Indies cricket Richard Pybus.

The news of Shastri’s appointment as head coach will not surprise many, given his work as team director for an 18-month period and the relationship he shares with Kohli and other members of the team. The former allrounder turned TV commentator and analyst, who played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs and led India in one Test, was brought in by the BCCI in August 2014 as team director in England following defeat in the Tests. Shastri’s term – and that of his three assistant coaches, Sanjay Bangar Bharat Arun and R Sridhar – was extended until the end of the 2015 World Cup by the BCCI working committee, and then again until the end of the World Twenty20 in March-April last year. Under Shastri, the Indian team made it to the semi-final stage of five consecutive global tournaments, rose to No 1 in the ICC Test rankings for eight weeks and beat Australia in Australia in a landmark 3-0 T20I series.