Shastri to stay team director till 2016 World T20 Says BCCI

Mumbai, Sep 13 - Ravi Shastri will continue as the director of the Indian team till the 2016 World T20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Sunday.

"Ravi Shastri to continue as Team Director of Indian Cricket Team till ICC World T20 2016," BCCI tweeted.

Apart from extending Shastri's contract, the tenures of the three current associate coaches -- Sanjay Bangar (batting), Bharat Arun (bowling) and R. Sridhar (fielding) -- were also increased for a similar period.

"The tenure of assistant coaches - @ImSanjayBangar, B Arun & @coach_rsridhar extended till ICC WT20 2016," BCCI said in another tweet.

These extensions were decided on the recommendations of the advisory committee that included Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary Anurag Thakur.

"BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and honorary secretary Anurag Thakur appreciated the work done by the coaching staff and accepted the decision unanimously," a BCCI statement added.

The extensions come in the wake of India's first away Test series victory against Sri Lanka since 1993.

The efforts of the coaching staff in achieving that victory was acknowledged by the BCCI through the contract extension.

Shastri took over the task of overseeing the team's performance as director in August last year, just before the One-Day International (ODI) series in England, and insisted on having the services of Bangar, Arun and Sridhar, with under-pressure Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher remaining the coach.

But after India failed to defend their title in the 2015 World Cup, Fletcher's contract was not renewed and Shastri was given the responsibilities on a full-time basis but no duration of his tenure was determined then.

Thakur earlier said that a coach would be appointed before India's home series against South Africa.

South Africa will play three T20s, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and four Test matches during their 72-day tour with the first competitive game scheduled on October 2 in Dharamsala.

India host World T20 tournament for the first time from March 11 to April 3 next year.

(IANS)