In this conflict zone, cricket takes a backseat

That’s what the last three coach appointments for the men’s cricket team have witnessed.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

Complications. Confusions. Controversies.

That’s what the last three coach appointments for the men’s cricket team have witnessed.

If in 2016, Ravi Shastri had an issue with Cricket Advisory Committee member Sourav Ganguly, who was missing from the interview, in 2017 it was over the choice of support staff.

Two years ago, Shastri was hell-bent on having men of his choice, particularly given how it was even mentioned in the presentation. But Ganguly recommended Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan before CoA had to intervene and give Shastri men of his choice.

Two years later one would have hoped the BCCI or the CoA, in this case, would have learnt a lesson or two. Instead, there is a fresh twist.

With the BCCI getting a new constitution, roles have been redefined. The CAC can only appoint the head coach. The support staff have to be appointed by the senior selection committee. ‘How is that for a logic?’ You might ask. But, that is what the new constitution has defined.

While the old guards of the BCCI were busy worrying over the obstacles they were facing, the cricketing aspect didn’t find any takers.

“You mention three instances, but there was controversy even when Raman was named for the women’s team. Some of the reforms don’t really make for any understanding, especially with regards to the cricketing side of things. But what can the CoA do? They are merely following the rule book,” says an executive official who has been involved in each of these appointments.

“Nobody cared about these things. There were a lot of changes happening even in the BCCI corridors.

While the administrators were busy with their own issues, the CoA were concentrating on other things. They were there to guide the board to implement these reforms and they should have spent a lot of time on things like these rather than getting into power struggles with office-bearers,” says the official.

While there is a possibility that Shastri might still get men of his preference, things can get complicated if he doesn’t get one.

“The reforms were supposed to make BCCI better. But is it really doing in cricket-related issues? The original recommendations had only three selectors, but now after deliberation, it has been restored to three.

If you hire a head coach, the choice of support staff should be left to him and that is how it is across the world over. But, that isn’t the case here.

If there is any difference and the head coach resigns, will the BCCI start the process all over again? There are more questions. And do you see anywhere in the world where the selectors appoint support staff? It is all too bizarre,” says a former cricketer who has been in the fray for one of the support staff position.

These appointments are supposed to be routine affairs that are made without any controversies. But in BCCI it has become a circus. This may lead to potential candidates not showing interests in what is a top job in world cricket. Is the CoA listening?

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