Rahul Dravid has been retained as India captain for the team's next three tours, the country's cricket board said on Saturday. Dravid, whose leadership was under fire following India's first-round exit in the World Cup, will be skipper for next month's tour of Bangladesh as well as the trips to Ireland and England later in the year.
"The working committee has directed the selection committee to send a young team to Bangladesh under an experienced captain," board treasurer N. Srinivasan told journalists.
"The selection committee after discussions has appointed Rahul Dravid as captain," he added. Bangladesh beat the 1983 winners in the first round of the World Cup on March 17 leading to their shock elimination. This has been one of the rare occasions in Indian cricket when the working committee has given a brief to the selection committee as to the kind of captain and team to select.
"We have not suggested any names, we have only given direction," Srinivasan said. Regarding the hurry in naming the captain, he said: "The defeat to Bangladesh (in the World Cup) had led to a lot of speculation in the media. We want a motivated team, motivated players.
"The board felt that we should send out a signal that there is no panic anywhere. The selectors chose Dravid." Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri was named as cricket manager for the Bangladesh tour earlier on Saturday. "Shastri has been named for this tour alone. We will decide on the next coach later," Srinivasan said referring to Australian Greg Chappell's successor. Chappell quit as India coach on Wednesday.
Ex-test paceman Venkatesh Prasad will be bowling coach and former all rounder Robin Singh fielding coach for the Bangladesh tour. The board has also decided to put a ceiling on players' endorsements. "A player will endorse not more than three sponsors/products and no sponsor can contract more than two players," Srinivasan said.
"The players shall take prior approval of the board before signing any endorsement contract and will submit a copy of the agreement to the board." Some media commentators within India suggested that the players had been too concentrated on their commercial contracts.
Leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been asked for an explanation for his comments against Greg Chappell to the media. Tendulkar suggested Chappell had questioned the attitude of senior players at the World Cup, which culminates with the Barbados final on April 28.
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