Gautam Gambhir has assumed the position of head coach of the Indian cricket team under very constrained circumstances. Right from day one, Gambhir faced hard times with BCCI over his recommendations for support staff. This scenario differs considerably from times past when previous coaches enjoyed relative independence to do what they wished in terms of picking their teams.
Rejections of Gautam Gambhir’s Recommendations
Gambhir’s early attempts at putting together his support staff have been rebuffed. Five of his suggested candidates have already been rebuffed by the BCCI. Gambhir wants to appoint Morkel as the team’s new bowling coach. Morkel had previously been the bowling coach for Pakistan’s ODI team and is currently associated with the Lucknow Super Giants at the IPL.
Before Morkel, Gambhir had suggested two other former Indian cricketers for the post of bowling coach. Both R Vinay Kumar and Lakshmipathy Balaji were also rejected by the BCCI. This repeated rejection indicates a big departure from the usual way in which decision-making works in Indian cricket coaching appointments.
Problems with Gautam Gambhir’s decisions are not only related to the bowling coach. The BCCI also secured two other recommendations from Gautam Gambhir for fielding coaches. He recommended Ryan ten Doeschate and Jonty Rhodes—both high-profile individuals in cricket. Neither of these candidates was, however, accepted by the board as a fielding coach.
One of the few suggestions that may just work out is former Indian all-rounder Abhishek Nayar. Nayar could be either an assistant coach or a batting coach. In the cricket world, Nayar is highly regarded for his role in turning around players like Dinesh Karthik and Shreyas Iyer.
The most startling aspect of Gambhir’s recommendations is that most of these candidates somehow have an association with KKR. Gambhir used to lead KKR for several seasons and shared the dressing room with almost all the recommended candidates. For instance, Morkel, Balaji, and Vinay Kumar were all colleagues whenever Gambhir led KKR.
A Shift in BCCI’s Approach
Traditionally, the BCCI has allowed head coaches immense freedom in the selection of support staff. From Greg Chappell to Gary Kirsten and Ravi Shastri, most of the coaches have been permitted to get their teams on board. That, though, is changing with Gambhir at the helm.
The BCCI’s current approach may reflect a wider change in the way the board functions. There is speculation that the BCCI is going to start getting more involved in coaching appointments. As per sources, this development is being interpreted as one of moving away from the erstwhile practice of leaving these decisions to the coaches themselves.
As Gambhir gets ready to start as head coach in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, he will be joined by staff from the current coaching wing in NCA as this interim team, until such time that he and BCCI can finalize and zero in on a permanent coaching staff. It’s both a challenging and opportunistic period for Gambhir during this interim period.
While it temporarily solves the problem as far as the upcoming series goes, it also denotes the important need to put an end to Gautam Gambhir’s disputes with the BCCI. The result of these talks will be significant for a strong and stable coaching team in the future. The continuing travails of Gautam Gambhir in forming his coaching staff are sure to set a precedent for the future of coaching appointments in Indian cricket.
It’s a reflection of a greater change in approach from the BCCI towards these positions and might just go on to define how any future head coach decides upon his team. The fate that Gautam Gambhir now faces could shed some light on how the BCCI will go about its coaching staff appointments in the future. As the cricket fraternity holds its collective breath, the resolution of Gambhir’s case is going to leave an indelible mark on Indian cricket governance and coaches-board equations in particular for times to come.
