After making a big mess over acquiring a foreign coach, the BCCI could have done the least to appoint a more suitable person as a stopgap arrangement. There were any number of younger ex-cricketers with experience of having handled a similar job before. But the president’s choice was 73-year old Chandu Borde, who is yet to be visible as the squad faces one problem after another.
It also appears that the senior players have welcomed the present arrangement as, after the Greg Chappell experience, they do not want to be dominated by someone with a measure of stern authority. And BCCI brass hats, these days, are inclined to give-in to whatever the senior players want.
Is this coterie (of senior players) responsible for one more big change that is in the offing in the team set-up?
There is a move to terminate the services of physiotherapist John Gloster and trainer Gregory King after their present contracts end. King’s appointment ends in October and Gloster, who has returned home after having fractured his right hand during practice, is expected to complete his term in December. There is, however, a split among the key officials of the BCCI over the decision to renew or not their contracts.
Those who want them out are going by what the chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar, says.
Vengsarkar believes that the two are not doing much to keep the players, especially the medium-pacers free of injuries. Citing the example of Munaf Patel, who went through almost the entire South African tour on the sidelines. He went to Bangladesh and soon returned with a recurrence of whatever his problem was.
Even Sreesanth had to return from Bangladesh with an ankle injury after plying only one match… Zaheer Khan too was seen clutching the back of his right thigh and limping. Zaheer is probably carrying his injury on the three-month-long tour.
How do these bowlers get injured so frequently? Is something wrong with their training method or their treatment? There is no denying the fact that some of these players hide their niggle, which later aggravates into a major injury. Irfan Pathan, in his keenness not to miss a tour, made the same mistake and is now completely sidelined.
Would you hold the team physio or the trainer for the present plight of the key bowlers? It has happened on quite a few occasions in the past that players who were declared unfit by the team physio and trainer, have sought second opinions of the official BCCI doctor and have made themselves available for selection.
The competition among the medium pacers at the moment is fierce with so many to select from, and more and more youngsters joining the list. It is hereabout that some of the regulars tend to bluff their way into the team.
One does not know what will be the state of fitness of the players after the services of King and Gloster are terminated.
