The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is investigating the possibility of increasing the support staff that supports the Indian men’s team of cricket which is currently led by Gautam Gambhir. At a review session held on January 11 in Mumbai with captain Rohit Sharma and director of coaching Gautam Gambhir and the chief selection officer Ajit Agarkar the board debated the necessity of naming an additional member of the support team, perhaps an ace batting coach.
The team’s lack of performance in the Test series during the past three months has led the BCCI to examine the team’s structure and tactics. The team headed by Rohit Sharma, was stricken by a whitewash of the series 0-3 in the series against New Zealand on home soil and then lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia with an 1-3 series loss.
In order to address these issues the BCCI has put limits on the length of time of family members and their partners’ time to be allowed to accompany athletes on international trips. In addition, it has set restrictions regarding travel arrangements for private players.
Expanding the Coaching Staff
The possibility of adding an batsman coach was a significant topic of discussion during the Mumbai meeting. Gambhir’s current coaching staff comprises assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, bowling coach Morne Morkel along with fielding trainer T Dilip. Although Gambhir’s experience as an opener who scored more than 10,000 international runs is useful, the absence of a designated batting coach has been pointed out.
According to reports according to reports, the BCCI is reportedly looking into former players from the domestic league to be considered for the job, although there is no official announcement released as of now.
Future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
The future of the key player Rohit Sharma as well as Virat Kohli during Test cricket has been the subject of debate. Both players have been struggling with their form over the last few months and Rohit having to drop six times in his seven Tests while captain. Despite this, the selection committee along with the management of team have opted that both of them will be included for the five-Test series that is scheduled to begin in England in the coming months.
Gautam Gambhir Under Pressure
The head coach Gautam Gambhir’s performances have been scrutinized due to the team’s disappointing performances since he took over from Rahul Dravid last July. The contract he signed runs until 2027 ODI World Cup, the BCCI might reconsider his role should the team fail to meet expectations in the coming ICC Champions Trophy.
While the spotlight is still firmly focused Gambhir as well as the players’ management the next few months will be critical in determining the course in Indian cricket. A final decision on the expansion of support staff is expected in the near future.
