Former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs and ex-Cape Cobras batsman Owais Shah have applied for the position of India Women’s head coach.

Erstwhile Indian seamer Manoj Prabhakar is also among the candidates to replace the outgoing  Ramesh Powar, whose three-month contract was not extended after the recent Women’s World T20.

‘I followed the World T20 in the West Indies where India missed out after reaching the semi-final,’ Shah, who played for the Cobras after his England career, told Women’s CricZone.

‘I felt there are areas they can improve on, certainly. I know how the England women’s team have prepared in the past, I have seen some of the women train at Lord’s.

‘They have a team element to them, with the focus on winning the trophy. There is a big focus on fitness. The Indian girls can definitely be fitter, which will help them to achieve their goals.

‘I am good with the language. I can speak fluent Hindi. I feel when it comes to communication I have the edge over other people.

‘Being a foreigner I won’t be biased towards anyone. It is all about managing different personalities. I have got an Asian background myself and was also raised in a multi-cultural city as London is.’

Gibbs coached Kuwait to a historic win over Saudi Arabia recently – and was part of the Rajputs staff at the recent T10 League in Sharjah.

‘I have put my name forward, yes,’ he confirmed to Sportstar.

Photo: Gallo