Sandeep Patil back on BCCI radar

Former ICL coach gets offer to be chief batting coach at Board's planned academy

Sandeep Patil could become the first former player the Board of Control for Cricket in India welcomes back into the fold after a stint with the breakaway Indian Cricket League.

Patil, who coached ICL team Mumbai Champs for two seasons before the rebel league witnessed a mass exodus of players and coaches, could now become chief batting coach of the BCCI's planned academy at the Bandra Kurla Complex.

Reportedly, Patil got an offer from the Cricket Association of Bengal to be their coach but refused. Asked why he refused the offer, he revealed that he got a call from BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof Ratnakar Shetty about being coach at the BCCI academy.

CAB offer
"When I quit the ICL, the first person to call me was Jagmohan Dalmiya. I said, 'thanks Jagguda but let me examine things before I make a commitment.' Since I do television work and I'm also involved in coaching, it was only fair for me to scrutinise things closely. I then got a call from the BCCI and made my decision," Patil said. It is learnt that the Board wants to set up eight such academies all over the country. Patil, who has coached Madhya Pradesh, India 'A' and the Indian team since he last played for India in 1986 was delighted to be sounded off for a role with the BCCI again. "Nothing has been finalised yet but I have been told that I could get the post.

"When I got a call from the BCCI, I had to turn the CAB offer down. Even Goa and Assam had got in touch with me. It' good that the Board is keen to utilise our services and that's what president Shashank Manohar said to Karsan Ghavri, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and myself when we met him in Mumbai recently.

"Me coming back into the fold is good but I am really looking forward to my silver wedding on August 2. In fact, the celebrations have already begun. Deepa and me were recently invited to Goa and served a 11-course (by chef Devraj) dinner at Dune Shack," he said. And what's the plan for August 2? "We'll be in Maldives. After that, we will visit Zurich where we went for our honeymoon in 1983," he said.