CHENNAI: Less than a year after Anil Kumble took charge as head coach of India, BCCI has sought applications for the job. This is not unusual, considering that his one-year contract ends after the Champions Trophy. But take into account Kumble’s success, credentials as coach and timing of the announcement, and it’s a hugely surprising move.
With talks in BCCI corridors gathering steam that the bosses are unhappy with Kumble demanding a massive hike for players and members of the support staff, including himself, the cricket advisory committee of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman is slated to take a call on whether to retain Kumble or hire a new coach, based on fresh applications.
It is understood that the move to seek applications was taken by the Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA), as they decided to have a fair and transparent process, like last year, when the thre-man committee shortlisted candidates and picked Kumble ahead of Ravi Shastri. However, the latest move puts the trio in a spot. If Kumble gets an extension, questions would be raised why go through the process all over again. If Kumble is removed, the question would be why sack someone under whom the team has had considerable success against top sides.
However, by virtue of being the incumbent, Kumble gets a ‘direct entry’ to the pool of candidates. Unlike Shastri, he doesn’t need to apply again if he is willing to continue in his role. But what makes this move unexpected in many ways is Kumble’s success since taking over just before last year’s tour of the West Indies. The team won 13 of the 17 Tests under him and rose to No 1 in ICC Test rankings.
However, a number of influential BCCI officials are unhappy with the way Kumble reached out to the CoA in important matters pertaining to the board. Kumble had communicated to the CoA about the team’s willingness to take part in the Champions Trophy, at a time when the BCCI was mulling pulling out as a mark of protest against the ICC revenue sharing model. It is understood that even in the pay issue, Kumble made a presentation directly to the CoA, without keeping any of the BCCI officials in the loop.
Moreover, there also seems to be an issue with Kumble’s salary, as most board officials seem to be of the view that since he already draws `6.5 crore per year, there’s no need to raise his pay. If pay is revised, he will earn between `8-8.5 crore, which is significantly more than what some of the Test players sans IPL contracts earn. For all you know, Kumble might even get a contract extension, but why the CoA and BCCI chose to seek fresh applications and left the door open for Kumble is the question without an answer.
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com