Chennai, Feb 14: Board of Control for Cricket in India has sacked its bowling coach Eric Simons for Team India's poor performance in Australia, reports the newspaper DNA.
The BCCI working committee, which met in Chennai on Monday, was informed that the South African, who has been coaching Team India since January 2010, has been replaced. The Board has also announced his replacement.
It has been learnt that Joe Dawes will take over as the bowling coach.
Apparently, the entire Indian team endorsed Dawes's candidature. Even coach Duncan Fletcher has had a hand in the appointment of Dawes.
The working committee was told that the new coach will be paid a monthly salary of $18,000.
Simons, it is learnt, has been informed that the current tour of Australia will be his last.
Officials say Simons's contract was only up to the Australia series.
“It is not proper to have a discussion on the performance of the team while the tour is on,” BCCI chief Srinivasan said. The board, however, chose to sack a member of the support staff while tour is on.
Queenslander Dawes, 41, has played over 75 first class matches for the Australian state team. He is considered an unlucky bowler having had to compete with the likes Michael Kasprowicz and Andy Bichel.
Simons, a senior Indian player said, was aware that the Australia series is his last assignment.
“We know he is going. He also knows that,” said player, who did not want to be named.
Simons is the chief coach of IPL franchise, the Delhi Daredevils.
Simons beat competition from Allan Donald to become the bowling coach of the Indian team two years ago.
He earned brownie points after India's victory in the World Cup, but since then, nothing seems to have gone well for Team India.
Barring a couple of series against the West Indies, the Indian bowlers performed miserably. They were hopeless in the helpful conditions in England and Australia and Simons may have had to pay for this.
