— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

SORTING THINGS OUT: The BCCI treasurer, N. Srinivasan, and senior cricketers Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble addressing the media after discussions on the player contracts issue.

LONDON: Graham Ford has turned down an offer to become India's new coach in favour of staying on in his current role as director of cricket at English county Kent.

The South African's decision, announced on Monday, will come as a major blow to Indian cricket chiefs who believed they had reached an agreement with Ford that would see him take over the India team on a one-year contract before the end of this month.

The 46-year-old was selected for the role on Saturday following an interview in Chennai and had been due to tell his new employers when he could start work by Monday.

Change of heart

Instead, he revealed that he had had a change of heart. ``I am very grateful to the club for allowing me to go to India to find out more about the job of coaching the Indian team,'' he said in a statement released by Kent.

``I have had a chance to reflect on the offer made by the BCCI and their urgency to fill the vacant position. After careful consideration, I have decided to continue my work here at Kent.

``This has been a really difficult decision. I am honoured that India have shown such interest in my capabilities, but feel that this is the right decision for me and my family,'' he said.

Ford's decision delighted Kent cricket chairman Graham Johnson.

``I know that all in the business at Kent, the playing staff, the coaching staff and all our administrators will be thrilled by his decision,'' he said. — AFP

Principal Correspondent from Bangalore reports

Meanwhile, the BCCI was guarded in its reaction to Ford's announcement.

On Monday, when Ford's refusal overshadowed the BCCI's meeting with the players to discuss contracts, in a belatedly convened chaotic press conference, the board treasurer, N. Srinivasan, said: "We have received a communication from Graham Ford saying that he is not in a position to take up the offer at short notice because of his commitments with the Kent Cricket Club and therefore he says that `I have to withdraw my name as a candidate for the position.'

"This was received by us recently and I have informed the president of the BCCI. The working committee of the BCCI is meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday and this matter would be taken up there," he said.

Later when queried on how the BCCI went ahead and conclusively announced that Ford would be the next coach at Chennai on June 9, Mr. Srinivasan countered: "If you remember I had announced at that time (in Chennai) that Mr. Ford had informed the BCCI committee that it was only a matter of informing when he could join, therefore the BCCI announced that he had been selected."

Srinivasan refused to throw light on other prospective candidates. "It is not for me to make a comment on this," he said.

It was evident that Ford's sudden change of heart had caught the BCCI unawares and with barely a week left for the Indian team's departure to Ireland and England, the search for a coach continues. Meanwhile a top board official said that Ford's decision was totally unexpected.

PTI reports from Mumbai

Former captain and one of the seven members appointed to select the India coach, Sunil Gavaskar said: "We are back to square one, that is a fact of life.''

Gavaskar said it was not yet clear what arrangement the BCCI would make for the tour of England, beginning at the end of this month.

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