Former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher will take charge of India, filling the post vacated by Gary Kirsten.
Fletcher’s appointment follows a strong recommendation from Kirsten as well as interviews with senior India players who were impressed after meeting him on a tour to South Africa last year.
He takes over a side that is number one in the world in Test cricket and current 50-over World Cup holders.
Fletcher, 62, has not held a full time coaching position since leaving the England set up after the 2007 World Cup but has had stints as a batting consultant with Hampshire and South Africa.
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain who formed a close bond with Fletcher during their most successful period, tweeted: “Great coach who will work well with [India captain Mahendra] Dhoni.
“Duncan will work well with all the talent. His biggest challenge will come from the media. He has never really understood how it works.”
Fletcher’s first major assignment with India, the number one Test side, will come when they tour England from mid-July for the summer’s eagerly-awaited tour. It features Tests at Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and The Oval, plus one Twenty20 international and five one-day internationals.
