Because Kumble can't speak hindi well? 😀Apart from Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble and Sandeep Patil, who are seen as the three favourite - some of the other Indians who have applied for the top job include former seamers Venkatesh Prasad and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, and left-handed middle-order batsman Hrishikesh Kanitkar.
According a report in Times of India, the final choice for the committee may remain between Patil and Shastri, in that order. Kumble, for all his accomplishments as a cricketer, has only coached in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and both his assignments - first with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and later with the Mumbai Indians - were not successful at all. Kumble also does not meet the BCCI's first condition in the advertisement listed for the post.
While Kumble appeared for the interview in person, Shastri, who is out of the country, appeared for the interview via Skype. Among the foreign applicants, former Australian players Stuart Law and Tom Moody also gave their presentations via video conference.
Interestingly, a high profile candidate like Sandip Patil was not called for the interview while former India players Lalchand Rajput and Pravin Amre got the opportunity to make their case.
"I was not invited for an interview," Patil, who is currently the head of national selection committee, told PTI.
Amongst other foreigners, Andy Moles, an Englishman who has coached New Zealand national and Afghanistan in the past, also gave his presentation via video conference.
Sehwag!?Anil Kumble is unwilling to continue as Team India Head Coach. Sources have told NDTV that the former India captain has expressed his unwillingness to stay at the post after the issue of a tiff between him and team captain Virat Kohli snowballed over the last couple of days. According to the sources, if Kumble does not relent, then former India batsman Virender Sehwag may take over after the ICC Champions Trophy.