 The Kolkata Knight Riders have short-listed former England all-rounder Dermot
Reeve as one of the possible candidates for the role of the team's coach from
the next season. He joins the list of John Wright, Richard Pybus and some
outside candidacies like Michael Bevan as possible choices for the coach
of the side. The list also includes Indians like Lalchand Rajput, who was
earlier the coach of the Mumbai Indians, but was axed from the side.
Reeve has been the coach of the New Zealand's Central Districts side, but the
team hadn't performed too well in the previous season. He had also led the Warwickshire
side to three tournament wins out of the possible four in the 1994 season. However,
he has had issues with cocaine abuse and addiction and had once commentated
after being high on the drug. This had led him to be banned from the channel
and his contract was revoked.
Richard Pybus, the other candidate, is a South African who has had two
stints with coaching the Pakistani side. He then had coached the Titans as well,
and led them to the Champions League spot for the 2008 edition of the Champions
League, which had then been cancelled due to the terrorists attacks in Mumbai.
John Wright had been earlier tipped to be one of the strongest favourites to
take over the role, as he had had the knowledge of the Indian conditions, having
coached India for a reasonable period of time. However, the factor that could
go against him is that he hasn't coached any side in the T20 format of the game,
which is an essential prerequisite according to the Knight Riders.
It has also been said that the coaching staff could include a mix of foreign
and domestic coaches, and as such Rajput could be one of the frontrunners to
get the assistant coach's job.
The Kolkata Knight Riders' team management will meet up with the candidates
from this weekend onwards and start with the interviews.
Kolkata Knight Riders had finished last in the Indian Premier League
of 2009 in South Africa after having come sixth in the first season. This meant
that John Buchanan, who was expecting a five year role with the side,
had his contract annulled and a replacement was sought. The captaincy may also
change hands and if sources are to be believed Sourav Ganguly should
regain his spot back, after the captain for the second season, Brendon McCullum
revealed that he may not be present throughout the season in 2010, to honour
his international commitments.
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