The BCCI Centre of Excellence has confronted a number of challenges and setbacks whereas attempting to safe its subsequent Head of Sports activities Science and Drugs.
At a media interplay organised on the centre, VVS Laxman, the CoE head, defined how candidates, one after one other, got here near changing Nitin Patel, the earlier head of SSM who left the place in March 2025.
The closest candidate was notably Andrew Leipus, who labored because the Indian males’s crew’s physio between 1999 and 2005, after which on the Nationwide Cricket Academy between 2015 and 2017.
“Sadly, after Nitin left as the pinnacle of Sports activities Science, we didn’t get anybody to fill in these sneakers,” Laxman admitted. “We had Andrew Leipus: every little thing was agreed upon, Devajit (Saikia, BCCI secretary) had two-three conferences, and on the last-minute, Andrew backed off citing household causes”.
Leipus had additionally been a part of the interview course of when Nitin was chosen in 2022, which Laxman says is the explanation BCCI reached out to Leipus as quickly as they acquired to find out about his exit.
With Leipus out of competition, Laxman, as a part of a panel of consultants, kickstarted one other course of that shortlisted 5 candidates.
“Out of (5), the No.1 candidate was Australian. I don’t need to identify him, however after being chosen, he immediately backed out saying he can’t transfer to Bengaluru.
“The second and third candidates are already working on the COE,” Laxman later added. “Now, it’s our accountability to upskill them, whereas trying to establish somebody of that stature and expertise and data”.
Laxman burdened that one of many key situations for the function was that it’s a full-time job, not consulting or part-time, which requires the particular person to be in Bengaluru, underneath the purview of Laxman for “day-to-day monitoring”.
Because the search continued, BCCI then got here near securing one other candidate, the pinnacle of Sports activities Science of All Blacks (New Zealand rugby crew).
“He nearly agreed and on the final second, backed out (too)”.
Laxman, in the meantime, praised the remainder of the sports activities science crew for “stepping up” within the absence of a head.
He defined that there’s been a giant vacuum between the worldwide and state stage, due to which the CoE insisted on having a head of sports activities science for every affiliation, with the expectation to “standardise all health protocols and tips and execute them all year long”.
“In order that participant ought to at home or state stage mustn’t really feel that there’s a giant distinction when he involves the focused group or the Indian crew”.
Nevertheless, discovering appropriate candidates has been an onerous job at that stage too.
“Sadly, by way of the interview course of, might solely establish seven high quality professionals”.
Within the present setup, every zonal SSM head takes care of 5 associations, going to each state all year long and interacting with native SSM employees to make sure the hole between the state and the worldwide stage reduces.
As for sure circumstances which are too advanced to be dealt with on the state stage, the zonal SSM relays them to the CoE rehab crew, who then take the participant underneath their wing.
Laxman insisted that solely stature or expertise isn’t sufficient to fill the place; the candidate also needs to have data and understanding of Indian cricketers.
“The lookout continues to be there, however it’s important to discover somebody who’s certified and succesful sufficient to take up that place. We are going to fairly positively fill that place, and the acceptable candidate needs to be recognized.
Saikia added that the present technical crew is of a sure normal, however the particular person heading them should be significantly better.
“There are very restricted individuals, not solely in India however the world over. Due to this fact, we face some issues regardless of repeated processes being carried out. We’re not getting the appropriate candidate. Due to acute scarcity, I ought to say, we aren’t getting the particular person.
“However the course of is on to seek out the appropriate candidate”.
