Mumbai batting stalwart Amol Muzumdar has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian women's cricket team, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Muzumdar will now step into the role which was vacated by his predecessor and fellow Mumbaikar Ramesh Powar nearly ten months ago, as part of a restructuring module and was transferred to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Since then, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Nooshin Al Khadeer had served in the head coach role in interim capacities.
Nooshin was at the top job during Indian women's team during tour of Bangladesh in July, while Kanitkar led the team during the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year and their gold-medal winning campaign at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Following a call for applications in May of this year and interviews in early July, Muzumdar was appointed as head coach by the BCCI. The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) consisting of Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape unanimously recommended Muzumdar's appointment, according to a statement.
“I am deeply honoured and privileged to be appointed as the Head Coach of the Indian Women's Cricket Team. I thank the CAC and the BCCI for placing their trust in me and believing in my vision and the roadmap for Team India.”
“This is a huge responsibility and I look forward to working closely with talented players and providing them with the right preparation and guidance to excel. The next two years are extremely important as two World Cups are scheduled in the period. Together with the coaching and support staff, we will look to tick every box and give ourselves the best chance to succeed,” said Muzumdar.
His immediate challenge will be to prepare the women’s team for the upcoming home series against Australia and England, as well as prepare for the ICC events - the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2024 and the Women’s ODI World Cup in India in 2025.
A domestic batting stalwart from Mumbai, Muzumdar amassed 11167 runs from 171 first-class matches in a 21-year career, making 30 centuries and winning eight Ranji Trophy titles. After representing Mumbai for 15 years, Muzumdar played for Assam in 2009 and later, represented Andhra Pradesh. He also featured in over 100 List A games and 14 T20 matches.
“I welcome the appointment of Mr. Amol Muzumdar as the Head Coach of the Indian Women's Cricket Team. I am confident that under his tenure, the team will continue to rise and perform well across different formats of the game.”
“The team has consistently delivered impressive performances in bilateral and multi-nation events, and I am certain our players will benefit immensely under Mr. Muzumdar's guidance and roadmap,” said BCCI President Roger Binny.
Post his playing career, Muzumdar was the head coach of Mumbai side from 2021, where the team was runners-up of the 2021/22 Ranji Trophy and clinched its first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the last season.
His coaching career began when he was appointed batting consultant for the Netherlands men's team after serving as the batting coach for India's U19 and U23 teams. Following that, he worked for several seasons as the batting coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Most recently, Muzumdar advised the Proteas on batting during their tour of India.
“I thank the CAC for conducting a thorough evaluation and selection process to identify the new Head Coach for our national team and I congratulate Mr. Amol Muzumdar on his appointment. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise and possesses a keen understanding of the modern game.”
“The BCCI is strongly committed to women's cricket and will continue to provide an environment necessary for the team to excel both on and off the field. The Board will fully support Mr. Muzumdar and work closely with him to help our players reach their full potential,” said Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI.
He was also at the helm for the age-group teams at the NCA and worked as batting consultant for the Netherlands ahead of the 2015 World Cup 2015 Qualifier tournament in New Zealand.
With IANS inputs
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)