Calcutta: Gary Kirsten will be India’s next coach. Only the paperwork remains to be completed.

The deal with Greg Chappell’s successor should be signed by Monday.

The post had been lying vacant since Chappell decided not to seek an extension in April.

The issue of Kirsten’s derogatory comments about India, made in his tour diary after the 1996-97 trip, was not raised when the BCCI bigwigs met informally on Saturday. The reason, according to someone who attended the meeting, was that Kirsten had “clarified” his position.

The former South African opener is understood to have told the BCCI that while he doesn’t recall specifics of what he had written, he was “a youngster then” and has since matured, and holds a different view of India now. For the record, Kirsten was 29 in late 1996.

Kirsten had been critical of everything Indian in his tour diary for SA Cricket Action after that trip.

Kirsten will take full charge from next March only, as he won’t be able to give full time to the Indian team before that. According to a BCCI official, the South African will keep coming and going till March.

Lalchand Rajput, who is currently the cricket manager, will assist Kirsten during that period. Rajput’s involvement with the Indian team will, thus, get extended to the tour of Australia.

India’s series against Pakistan ends with the Bangalore Test on December 12. They will leave for Australia on December 17.

The first Test of the four-match series begins on Boxing Day in Melbourne. The next three will be in Sydney (from January 2, 2008), Perth (from January 16) and Adelaide (from January 24).