Head coach of Baroda women's cricket team suspended after complaints of alleged sexual harassment and public shaming

Former India batsman Atul Bedade has been suspended with immediate effect from his current role of head coach of Baroda women's cricket team by the Baroda Cricket Association. This comes after some senior members of the team made accusations against Bedade of sexual harassment, public shaming and misbehaviour during a recent tournament they were playing in Himachal Pradesh last month.

The 53-year-old took over as the women's team head coach in 2019 and was said to have made gestures of several different natures. The allegations on him were due to his “personal comments on physicality to personal menstruation; comments that discourage the morals of the team members; angry outbursts unbecoming of a women’s team coach and using unparliamentary language that is not accepted of a person-in-charge; behaviour oblivious of gender sensitivity."

#AtulBedade is a former India batsman. Firm action by an affiliate of @BCCI , which still has some Qs to answer re a particular employee. pic.twitter.com/yy4asyMxYD

— Lokendra Pratap Sahi (@lpsahi) March 21, 2020

Ajit Lele, secretary of the BCA, confirmed the suspension amid allegations against Bedade.

"Yes, he is being suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry by probe committee having one neutral member from outside BCA."

The right-handed batsman played 13 ODIs for his country in 1994 notching up 158 runs in that period. Bedade was also formerly a coach of the Baroda men's team before his current role with the women's team.