Manoj applies, Kapil may interview him

New Delhi, December 9 

Former India seamer Manoj Prabhakar has applied for the job of national women team’s coach and, if shortlisted, he may be interviewed by a panel headed by none other than his former teammate Kapil Dev. Right from their playing days till the match-fixing controversy that reared its ugly head in 2000, the Kapil-Prabhakar acrimony is well known in the Indian cricket circles.

The Indian cricket board has advertised for the chief coach’s post and Prabhakar has applied along with South African Herschelle Gibbs. “Yes, I have applied for the chief coach’s post. It would be an honour to serve the country’s national cricket team in any capacity,” said Prabhakar. While Prabhakar’s knowledge of the game is unquestionable, what remains to be seen is if the coach’s selection panel will shortlist him for an interview. The panel will be headed by Kapil Dev, with other members being Anshuman Gaekwad and former woman cricketer Shantha Rangaswamy.

When told that Kapil was likely to head the selection panel, Prabhakar responded curtly.  “You asked me if I had applied or not, and I said yes. Why did I apply? Because I feel I can contribute with my cricketing knowledge,” Prabhakar said. “There is so much talent in women’s game and I think I have the experience to help the likes of Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana.”

Did he and Kapil ever cross paths after the 2000 controversy? Prabhakar replied: “I think that’s not at all relevant in this context.”  While the last date for submitting the CVs is December 14, it remains to be seen whether Prabhakar and Gibbs would make the shortlist considering their alleged involvement in match-fixing scandals. — PTI