'If I get a chance...': Harbhajan Singh ready to replace Dravid for Team India head coach job

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on May 13 invited applications for the role of Head Coach of the men's national team. The candidate will be responsible for managing the Indian team and their performance across all three formats for three and a half years. Many names have popped up for the position of head coach of the senior men's team. Ricky Ponting, Stephen Fleming, Gautam Gambhir, and Justin Langer are among those whose names are being speculated for the job.

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Harbhajan Singh shows interest in coaching Indian team

Meanwhile, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has also shown interest in coaching the national side. Speaking to ANI, Harbhajan said that he would like to give back to the game that has given him so much over the years. Note, that Harbhajan Singh has zero experience of coaching a side at any level. Harbhajan Singh is eligible for the position of head coach of the Indian team as per the BCCI's criteria for the job.

"I do not know if I would apply. Coaching India is about man management, not about teaching players how to drive and pull. They know it very well. You can give some guidance to them. Cricket has given me so much and If I get a chance to give it back, I would be more than happy," Harbhajan Singh told news agency ANI.

Harbhajan Singh has represented India in 103 Test matches and 236 ODIs. He has also played 28 T20Is for the country. Harbhajan Singh was part of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup.  

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The deadline for submitting the applications is May 27. The successful candidate will replace former India captain Rahul Dravid as the new head coach of Team India. Dravid became the coach of the Indian team across all three formats in 2021 after Ravi Shastri stepped down following the end of his tenure. Dravid was earlier the head coach of the India U-19 side and India A team from 2015 to 2021.   

“The Head Coach should be an outstanding communicator and man manager. Their focus will be on managing a competitive, highly skilled, and self-reliant Indian team and an elite performance environment that demands exceptional standards of professionalism,” the BCCI said in the job description for the post.