BCCI take a step in the right direction by reappointing Ramesh Powar as India Women coach

Controversy surrounding the Indian women's cricket team simply refuses to die down. Allegations of unfulfilled salary obligations stretching as far back as the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup have cast an ugly shadow over a section of the sport that has mostly found itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The Indian women's team has reached the finals of the ODI and T20 World Cups in the past few years, but rarely has it been recognized for its achievements on the field. Instead, off-the-field spats such as the one between Ramesh Powar and Mithali Raj from 2018 have dominated the headlines.

And so, when Powar was reappointed as the women's team coach earlier this month, not many trained eyelids were batted. Yes, the decision to replace WV Raman came as a surprise, but it fit into an all-too-familiar pattern of inconsistent decision-making.

However, the move to reappoint Powar may be one of the rare instances of clear thinking on the part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Here's why it shows that Indian women's cricket is headed in the right direction.

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The origin of the controversy between Mithali Raj and Ramesh Powar

Mithali Raj and Ramesh Powar had an ugly, public spat in 2018

In November 2018, WODI captain Mithali Raj hit out at Ramesh Powar, who had been at the helm of the team since July. She claimed that Powar's decisions as coach left her "utterly dejected and depressed" and that he was out to "destroy and humiliate" her.

The disagreement stemmed from Powar's decision to use Raj in the middle order during the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup. Soon after, she even lost her place in the side as the Indian team attempted to move towards players who had a less conservative approach to batting.

Caustic letter aside, it was clear that Raj wasn't in the BCCI's long-term WT20I plans. It was also clear that WT20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur was privy to Powar's strategies, and that there was a catastrophic breakdown in communication between the two Indian skippers. Kaur had earlier backed Powar's decision to drop Raj from the team, leading to a wedge being driven between the two leaders.

Powar didn't back down from the confrontation, especially after it made its way to the public forum. He insisted that Raj threatened to retire and leave the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup midway if she wasn't moved back up the order, to which the veteran batsman replied by saying her patriotism was being questioned.

The most damning indictment of the whole situation came when Kaur and Smriti Mandhana sent letters of their own to the BCCI, siding with Powar in his ugly feud against Raj. They insisted that the 43-year-old had "changed the intent of the players," which seemed to be an indirect dig at Raj's batting in the WT20I format.

But the BCCI decided against renewing Powar's contract, and in December 2018, WV Raman took over at the helm.

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WV Raman's tenure as India Women coach faded away after a promising start

India Women reached the final of the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup

WV Raman took control of a team that was on the rise under Powar. Under the Tamil Nadu man's reign, India Women reached the final of a WT20I tri-series involving major rivals Australia Women and England Women, apart from the final of the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup.

But the South Africa white-ball series in 2021, which was the first taste of cricketing action for India Women in a very long time barring the short Women's T20 Challenge, saw the threads unravel. South Africa Women dominated the five-match WODI series to win 4-1 and won the first two WT20Is to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

Concerningly, most games weren't even close. The progess that India Women seemed to have made under Powar and in the first half of Raman's tenure just wasn't as pronounced. And although the sample size of failure was small, the BCCI invited applicants for the head coach role in April as the 56-year-old's contract wound down.

Powar applied once again, and this time he made the cut. Raman's mysterious comments on social media, combined with rumors of him sending a letter to the BCCI criticizing the "star culture" in the Indian team, have led many fans to believe that the decision to reappoint Powar hasn't gone down well behind the scenes.

"If you have the inclination, you will have the time", this was tagline of a watch company.. In my case, I don't have the inclination, but definitely have lots of time.. 😂😂😂

— WV Raman (@wvraman) May 14, 2021

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What does Ramesh Powar's reappointment mean for India Women?

Ramesh Powar's return signals an emphasis on the long-term future of the team

As a coach, Ramesh Powar's ability isn't in any doubt. He recently orchestrated a remarkable turnaround with Mumbai after being appointed as the coach ten days before the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Prithvi Shaw-led side cruised to the title in dominant fashion, overcoming the disastrous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign that had preceded Powar's appointment.

With India Women as well, the former India off-spinner's reinstatement is an encouraging sign. To state the obvious, Powar's return signals an emphasis on the long-term future of the team.

Mithali Raj has stated that the 2022 World Cup will be her swansong, months after initially claiming she had no plans of retiring. And by reappointing Powar, the BCCI has sent a clear message that the rift isn't expected to weigh on anyone's mind for too long.

Raj's sedate batting in WT20Is was a stark reminder of how certain members of the team were stuck in the past, not only in terms of approach but also with regard to fitness. Both aspects appeared to improve considerably under Powar, who now appears to be proved right by the fact that the 38-year-old is no longer part of the shortest-format side.

With the support of Kaur and Mandhana, who is expected to be the next captain, Powar will herald a new age in Indian women's cricket that will be built on the foundation of his first stint with the team.

Like Raman before him, he will inherit an improved team overall. Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues have made their debuts and are slowly establishing themselves as lynchpins across formats. The bowling attack is placing increased emphasis on fitness and consistency, while prodigious talents like Indrani Roy and Richa Ghosh are slowly peeking through the curtain of the playing XI.

Important assigments lie ahead for Powar, who will go through another period of baptism by fire. India Women are not only making a return to the Test format, but they are doing so against the two most successful teams in the game in Australia and England. This is, of course, apart from the challenge that comes with a pink-ball overseas Test.

Then, India Women will embark on their quest to cross the final hurdle and finally clinch an ICC trophy during the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand. Raj's farewell and the subsequent closing of an acrimonious chapter couldn't come soon enough for Powar, with the seeds of the bitter feud far from dispersed in an air of resigned acceptance.

The overall thinking of the BCCI is abundantly clear, even if they need to make significant revisions to their pay structure and central contract list. With an eye on the future, an emphasis on modern thinking and a return to the tried-and-trusted methods of Powar, India Women are headed in the right direction.