NEW TWIST TO THE FORD STORY

Just a couple of days back Kent's Graham Ford was selected as the Coach of the Indian Cricket Team and was offered a contract for a year.

All was fine. Until now. News has just come in that he has declined the offer! Thank you Mr. Ford. Spare Indian Cricket your ignominy.

Ford said in a website -

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.

I have had a chance to reflect on the offer made by the BCCI and their urgency to fill the vacant position and 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.

India's Cricket Team Gets Graham Ford as the New Coach

Red Carpet Welcome for Former South African
Coach, sacked for his alleged connections with Bookies in India, to
India

The Indian Cricket Team gets Graham Ford as the new Coach. The BCCI arrived at the decision after a two hour long discussion where Former English Cricketer John Emburey's candidature was also considered.

Introducing the new coach with the following excerpt from rediff.com

Born in Pietermaritzberg, Natal, on November 16, 1960, Ford, like a number of South African players, excelled in various sports during his younger days. He was a good tennis player, too; so good that he once won the provincial tennis championship for Natal.

Why, is wife Liz is also a former Natal champion in the love-all game. Ford represented Natal in soccer, too. What's more, he is a qualified rugby union referee as well.

Despite his flair for different sports, he wasn't more than an average cricketer. As a right-hand batsman and off-spinner, he represented the Natal B team and figured in only seven first-class matches between 1982-83 and 1989-90.

In those seven matches and 13 innings, he scored just 162 runs at 13.50 without ever scoring a fifty. His highest score was 43. He held three catches and never got to try his bowling arm.

So much for the Coach. Worse, he was chucked out of his job as SA Coach after Hansiegate came to the fore. He allegedly had some connection with the bookies in India and avroad, and look here, we have invited him back to his den. Sure he loves to keep a low profile, and make all the money that the job offers, but is he good enough to deliver?

And what happened to Dave Whatmore? Was some secret meeting/ or phone call between BCCI and PCB played out?