A new role for Chandu Borde © Getty Images

Chandu Borde, the former Indian batsman, has been appointed as the manager for India's tour to Ireland and England, which starts in a week's time. Borde's appointment comes after Graham Ford, the former South African coach who's currently the director of cricket at Kent, rejected the Indian board's offer to coach the national side.

Borde said that he was "happy to get this responsibility". Now 72, he was the manager way back in 1989-90, when India undertook a tough trip to Pakistan. He had also been entrusted with the responsibility between 1984 to 1986. He was twice chief national selector, first from 1982-84 and then again from 1999 to 2002.

"This has come as a very pleasant surprise," said Borde. "I am very happy to accept it. I take it as a challenge. I was the manager in 1989 in Pakistan which was a very tough tour. Our team did very well. That was also the debut series for Sachin [Tendulkar]. Coming to the present assignment I know all the boys and I look forward to the challenge."

Kiran More, who played in that series against Pakistan, recalled that Borde had done a wonderful job but felt it was not fair to ask him to take up a short-term role. "We had lots of youngsters on the tour," More told Cricinfo. "He managed all of us really well. His reading of the game was outstanding.

"But this is going to be a short-term job. I don't know what wonders he can do. It's not going to be easy for him. It's not fair to Mr Borde. Also, there is going to be a lot of pressure on Dravid. I hope he does well with the bat and with leading the team. At the end of the day the blame [if India don't do well] will fall on the captain. I don't think it will be fair on Dravid."

More also believed that the BCCI should have approached the coach-recruitment process more professionally. "They should have gone in more systematic way. They should have advertised for the post, canvassed for candidates from round the world and in fact, should have appointed the coach before the Bangladesh tour."

Borde played 55 Tests for India between 1958 and 1969 and captained in one Test, the opening game of the 1967-68 series against Australia at Adelaide.