If the performance of the Indian cricket team in England has been a letdown, more embarrassing have been the statements made by the think tank. Despite losing the Test series with a match to go, the bragging hasn’t stopped. Captain Virat Kohli insists his boys have fought well. Coach Ravi Shastri has gone a step further by claiming that this bunch is the best from the country to have played abroad in the last two decades. Since neither care for facts while making such remarks, it’s not worthwhile to discuss how far from the truth their statements are.
Kohli and Shastri can get away with such loose talk because there is nobody to tell them to keep quiet and ask some pertinent questions. Run by the Committee of Administrators, whose primary duty is to implement the new constitution, the BCCI has become a headless body when it comes to dealing with matters like this. In an effort to refurbish the administration, governance of cricket has taken a backseat. There is a set of acting office bearers, who prefer to watch and comment from the wings instead of advising on what should be done.
There is nobody to point out that in the past, although not always, action was taken. Shastri himself was appointed technical director after the disappointing tour of England in 2014 under Duncan Fletcher. In the turmoil in the BCCI that is yet to subside, monitoring the activities of the national team has gone for a toss.
Not just imprudent statements, the team management can be questioned on matters like wanton changes in the playing XI, sticking with five batsmen when the batting was crumbling and giving too much importance to performance in limited-over formats while selecting the Test team. Everywhere in the world, in any sport, it’s the responsibility of the governing body to address such issues. For reasons well known, nobody from the BCCI has initiated action yet. There is no news of any message going to the team. It is probable that nothing will be done, because nobody seems to know whose job it is.