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The BCCI has reportedly decided to sack India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and also let go of fielding coach T Dilip along with trainer Soham Desai.
Abhishek Nayar (left) and T Dilip have reportedly been informed of the decision. (PTI Photo)
BCCI has cracked the whip. India’s dipping performances towards the final stretch of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle has resulted in the sacking of assistant coach Abhishek Nayar just eight months after his appointment. In prime position to qualify for their third straight WTC final, India lost six of their final 10 Tests including a historic 0-3 clean sweep at the hands of New Zealand at home. The straw that broke the camel’s back was them surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia which ended their WTC final hopes.
After a review meeting, the board has reportedly made significant changes in the team’s backroom staff before it embarks on the next WTC cycle which will begin with a five-match Test tour of England later this year in June.
While head coach Gautam Gambhir, bowling coach Morne Morkel, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate have survived the storm, Nayar along with fielding coach T Dilip strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai have also been let go of.
There are also murmurs that the BCCI is planning major changes in its annual retainership for the men’s team with few top names set to be kicked out or demoted to a lower grade.
While there’s no official communication from the board yet, various reports have cited multiple reasons behind the changes in India’s coaching staff.
Here we take a look at the four reasons: –
The BGT Debacle
India lost the five-match Test series in Australia 1-3 and with that, lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. It wasn’t just the result that rankled but the manner in which the team lost. Their batters especially the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli grossly underperformed. Interestingly, the tour began with a brilliant performance across departments as India won the Perth test in dominant fashion with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kohli hitting sparkling centuries. However, it was the only high of the tour with Australia bouncing back to humble their guests.
Such was the state that India Test captain Rohit dropped himself from the playing XI for the fifth and final Test citing his own poor form. Australia tour though was just the continuation of the slump that began at home as New Zealand outsmarted India in their own conditions to storm to a historic 3-0 Test series win.
Dressing Room Leaks
After India lost the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Gambhir reportedly gave the team a dressing down in the locker room. The former India opener is said to have told the players that they were not playing according to the situation in the name of sticking to natural game.
“Bahut ho gaya! (I’ve had enough),” Gambhir reportedly said.
With his dressing room conversations with the players being leaked to the media, Gambhir wasn’t happy.
“Discussions between the coach and players must stay private. These were just speculations, not facts,” Gambhir told media ahead of the Sydney Test in January this year.
Later, he blamed Sarfaraz Khan for the leaks during a review meeting with the BCCI.
The KKR Touch
Gambhir was associated with IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor before being appointed as the India head coach in July last year. Along with the two-time world cup winner, arrived other members of the KKR backroom staff – Abhishek Nayar, Morkel and Ten Doeschate.
The trio was part of KKR’s backroom staff – Nayar was their assistant coach, Morkel bowling coach and Ten Doeschate fielding coach. They played a key role in the franchise winning IPL 2024.
According to news agency ANI, the BCCI wasn’t happy with the ‘KKR Touch’ in the team management. Interestingly, Nayar, a former India allrounder, was roped in after glowing reviews from the current players.
During the Australia tour, a report claimed that Gambhir scolded Morkel for arriving late to a training session which fueled rumours of rift within the setup.
Jumbo Staff
In January, the BCCI issued strict guidelines for the men’s cricket team to promote discipline and team unity besides streamline logistics. Family time during overseas tours was curbed, fee for excess baggage, no separate travel arrangements with families among others.
As per Dainik Jagran, members of the support staff who have been part of the team for over three years might be let go of. Fielding coach Dilip has been with the team for over three years now and has been informed that the board is moving on.
There will be no replacement with Ten Doeschate to take on the role.
In place of Desai, the BCCI is expected to name South African Adrian Le Roux who has been part of India setup when John Wright was the head coach in the early 2000s.
India support staff also includes training associates Raghavendra, Dayanand Garani, physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain, masseurs Arun Kanade, Chetan Kumar and Rajeev Kumar among others.
