PANJIM: The selection of the head coach for the State cricket team was completed a week earlier and this is important considering the poor performance of the team in the last Ranji Trophy season, which saw them demoted to the plate group.
The selection of the chief coach and other positions generated much interest with the Goa Cricket Association Secretary Rohan Dessai saying that they received around 70 applications for the post of chief coach, physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach.
Dessai said, “A selection committee selected the personnel for the posts.”
He said, “There were Goan candidates who had also sent in their resume for the posts. Former India cricketer Dinesh Mongia was selected as the chief coach. Dinesh represented the country in the one-day international (ODI) format. He played 57 matches with a highest score of 159 not out. He also represented the country in one T20 match.”
When asked about the parameters used to select the candidates, Dessai said they looked at the history of the candidate, playing experience, his past experience, his age and his communication skills were taken into consideration.
The average tenure of the coach has varied between two or three years. In the past, the post has been occupied by former players namely Nuwan Zoysa in 2016, after him, Hrishikesh Kanitkar occupied the post. Doda Ganesh, the former India pacer also occupied the post for a while.
Mansur Ali Khan was also the coach of the team while, Vinod Raghavan was the last coach of the team.
Goa is presently relegated in the plate group of Ranji Trophy after a poor season in the 2023-24 season.
