What’s the story?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) have been at loggerheads ever since the latter’s appointment by the honourable Supreme Court to oversee the affairs of Indian cricket.
And there seems to be no let up from either end with reports that the CoA has shot down the decision taken by the BCCI to appoint Milind Kanmadikar from the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) as Team India manager for the tour to the Carribean that follows the Champions Trophy.
According to the Times of India, which broke the news on Saturday, the CoA wants the manager’s role to be a permanent one rather than the BCCI’s preferred appointment routine on a tour-to-tour basis.
"The manager's job is not only to spend time in the changing room. His job is to ensure that a proper process is followed while picking a team or managing any sort of disagreement in the dressing room. The board appointed managers have failed to live up to the expectation," a top board functionary told TOI on Friday.
In case you didn’t know...
While the debate regarding the post of Indian head coach rages on ahead of the team’s visit to the West Indies, the post of Team Manager is also vacant as the BCCI have traditionally made the appointment on a tour-to-tour basis.
It was on that basis that Kapil Malhotra replaced Anil Patel as the Team India manager for the 2017 Champions Trophy.
The CoA, who have been voicing the need for annual contracts for the team’s coaches and support staff in line with that of the players, wants the Team manager’s role to fall under this purview as well and is looking at a permanent appointment until at least the 2019 ODI World Cup.
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The details
It is understood that the CoA is not pleased by the manner in which reports that the Indian head coach Anil Kumble and the players, especially skipper Anil Kumble, were not on level terms, made its way to the media and believes that appointing a full-time Team Manager will go a long way in helping to sort out any issues which arise in the dressing room then and there.
Highlighting the importance of a good appointment in the post, the TOI source stated how the team benefitted from having the likes of Odisha Cricket Association chief Ranjib Biswal and MV Sridhar, who is now BCCI's General Manager (cricket operations) during their time as Team India Manager.
The report also stated that the board officials are pleased by the active role taken by Kapil Malhotra since his appointment ahead of the Champions Trophy, involving in team meetings along with the skipper, coach and the selectors.
What’s next?
With little time left for deliberation on appointing a full-time Team Manager ahead of India’s tour of the West Indies, the BCCI & CoA could follow the same approach they seem to have taken regarding the head coach’s role by extending Kumble’s contract for a short period.
As per reports, Kapil Malhotra, who also served as Team Manager during India’s limited-overs tour to Australia in early 2016, has been a hit with the team management during his second stint as well.
The topic is likely to be discussed at length when the CoA meet next on Monday.
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Author’s take
Having a permanent person in charge as manager will no doubt help the team environment as it allows space for a second opinion from someone who will travel extensively with the team at all times.
Man management is critical in the modern sports era and with the coaches and support staff engaged in routine activities, the Team Manager’s role is crucial as a support system.
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