Jasprit Bumrah’s unexpected withdrawal from the Sri Lanka Test series has brought to light a critical communication breakdown and efficiency concerns within the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence sports science and medical team, impacting player fitness and selection decisions.
IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah has been sidelined from the Sri Lankan Test series. Photograph: BCCI/X
Key Points
- Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the Sri Lanka Test series due to a more serious injury than initially communicated has highlighted a major disconnect between the CoE’s sports science team and national selectors.
- Concerns have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the CoE’s sports science department, particularly in setting rehabilitation timelines and adhering to ‘Return to Play’ protocols, following a series of player injuries.
- The BCCI has been operating without an official head of sports science since Nitin Patel’s departure, leading to questions about the department’s overall functioning under interim head Dhananjay Kaushik.
- The fitness management of several players, including Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, has come under scrutiny, with instances of players being declared fit despite apparent issues.
- Indian team physio Kamlesh Jain’s role is also under review amidst a spate of injuries, with a BCCI review meeting expected to address these issues, potentially involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
A glaring communication disconnect between the Centre of Excellence’s (CoE) sports science and medical team and the senior national men’s selection committee has come into sharp focus once again, with Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the Test series against Sri Lanka emerging as the latest example. It has been learnt that national selection committee was initially made to believe that Bumrah will be available for the Sri Lanka series, starting August 15, before it was realised that his injury is more serious than expected.
There was a virtual meeting between the top officials of CoE, including VVS Laxman, and head of selection committee, Ajit Agarkar on Monday, to discuss the injury management issue of centrally contracted players. While injuries are a part and parcel of sport, the performance of the sports science team at the state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence with all modern amenities available, hasn’t been something to write home about.
Concerns Over CoE’s Sports Science Department
The BCCI has been without an official head of sports science since Nitin Patel’s exit, and the department’s recent functioning suggests it has done little to justify the vacuum at the top. Hence the focus is on CoE’s interim sports science head Dhananjay Kaushik, who is currently running the show at the Bengaluru High Performance Centre. While his credentials are beyond doubt, questions have emerged over the rehabilitation timelines being set for players and whether the prescribed ‘Return to Play’ protocols are being adhered to consistently in every case.
In case of Harshit Rana, the question remains that how did the sports science team declare him fit when he was distinctly over-weight which once again led to recurrence of his hamstring injury? There was a popular T20 specialist batter from one of the southern states, who was reportedly “overweight” when he arrived in England. But every India player before tour report to CoE for mandatory tests. Why didn’t CoE report that particular batter?
Washington Sundar’s fitness has also been pretty dodgy and this is not the first time that he has had hamstring issues and that is a worrying trend for a young spinner. Did the sports science team take cognisance of Washington’s repeated breakdowns? The question also arises if Nitish Kumar Reddy got a green light from the CoE and BCCI to independently train under freelance fast bowling coach Stefan Jones to increase his bowling speed from late 120kmph to mid 130s? Did sudden burst of increased speed affect Reddy’s hamstring.
Impact on Player Availability and Selection
“The safest thing is to rule a player out but is the current sports science staff at CoE doing enough to get top players on park on time. Selectors were assured Bumrah will be available for at least one Test. “Now they have been conveyed that Sai Sudharsan is batting in the nets for 75 minutes and is showing signs of good recovery after suffering a foot injury. But what if selectors are later told that Sai won’t be fit in time for the first Test against Sri Lanka,” a BCCI official tracking developments at CoE told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Review of Team Physio’s Role
Another person whose role is being re-looked at is Indian team physio Kamlesh Jain. The former Bengal Ranji team physio, who later worked at NCA and India A team, has been with the team for close to five years and is known to be very popular with the players. But with a spate of injuries rocking the Indian team, it is understood that his role in the Team India set-up is also being looked at.
A review meeting is on cards since the England debacle and it won’t be surprising if Kamlesh Jain’s role is also discussed and deliberated upon by men who matter. It is understood that head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Agarkar are waiting for the BCCI review meeting which will also involve CoE’s Head of Cricket VVS Laxman and secretary Devajit Saikia (as convenor). Now that Gambhir will be in Sri Lanka for next three weeks, it is not known whether the supposed Review Meeting will take place physically or virtually. There is also a question as to why the meeting wasn’t held in July when both Gambhir and Agarkar were in India and available for a face to face discussion with the BCCI secretary.
