There seems to be a lack of consensus between the BCCI and head coach Gautam Gambhir regarding the appointment of support staff, with the BCCI rejecting some of Gambhir’s proposals.
Gambhir had suggested Jonty Rhodes for the position of fielding coach. Despite Rhodes’ reputation as one of the best fielders in the world, the BCCI did not approve his appointment, maintaining that the support staff should be Indian. Rhodes and Gambhir have previously collaborated with the IPL franchise Lucknow Supergiants, where Gambhir serves as a mentor. However, the BCCI prefers to continue its tradition of hiring only Indian support staff, a practice in place for the past seven years.
Following the conclusion of Rahul Dravid’s tenure, the contracts of the current support staff, including batting coach Vikram Rathod, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T. Dilip, have also ended. Gambhir’s recommendation of Vinay Kumar for the role of bowling coach was similarly rejected by the BCCI. Additionally, there were reports that Gambhir wanted to include former Netherlands player Ryan ten Doeschate in the support staff. Doeschate, who is the fielding coach of Kolkata Knight Riders and has participated in various other leagues, was also not considered.
Amidst these developments, the cricketing community is keenly observing the BCCI’s final decision on the support staff appointments. Several former players are reportedly in the running, although no official names have been announced yet. Gambhir is set to join the Indian squad for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka later this month.
