Former Easterns and KwaZulu-Natal spinner Ant Botha is in contention to be India’s new fielding coach.

Botha is currently the Nottinghamshire second XI coach, but is vying for the India post alongside former Proteas batsman Jonty Rhodes and others. Rhodes worked with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League for several seasons.

‘Yes, I have applied for the position of India’s new fielding coach. My wife and I love the country, and it has already given us so much – we have two children born in India. I have spent nine seasons as MI fielding coach based in Mumbai,’ Rhodes told CricketNext last month.

‘I have seen incredible growth in athleticism and fielding ability in India over the past five years and really respect what has been achieved.

‘I like to think there are a few elements that I can add to what they have already achieved. I have spent two years away from high-performance coaching and have spent most of my time focusing on development and grassroots coaching.’

Former England batsman Mark Ramprakash and the South African-born Jonathan Trott, meanwhile, are among the candidates for India’s batting coach post.

India recently retained head coach Ravi Shastri, whose new support staff will be appointed soon.

Candidates for Shastri’s support staff will be interviewed next week.

‘The cricket advisory committee has given us a letter expressing their willingness to be involved in the selection process of the support staff. We will forward it to the committee of administrators,’ said Board of Control for Cricket in India chief executive officer Rahul Johri.