Former stumper Sameer Dighe appointed as Mumbai Ranji Trophy coach

Former Test stumper Sameer Dighe was on Friday named as the new coach of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for next season.

“Sameer Dighe has been appointed as the Mumbai Ranji Team Coach for the season 2017-18”, Mumbai Cricket Association said in a media release.

Dighe and another former Test cricketer Praveen Amre were in the running to take over the mantle from last season’s coach Chandrakant Pandit. MCA’s Cricket Improvement Committee, headed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, met on Friday to pencil in the 48-year-old Dighe as its choice.

Dighe, who has never had a previous top-level coaching experience, played in six Tests and 23 ODIs for the country, all between 2000 and 2001, with modest returns.

Dighe said that he felt honoured but, at the same time termed the assignment as challenging.

“It’s a new assignment and I am looking forward to it, (as) Mumbai are Ranji Champions for over 40 times, there are expectations from me” he said.