Vinod Rai concedes CoA did not have the 'foggiest idea' about Kumble-Kohli rift

What’s the story?

Vinod Rai, the chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), has revealed that the one thing he learned from the chaotic episodes in the build up to Ravi Shastri’s appointment as the coach of the Indian Cricket Team, is to not take “anyone at face value”. He also conceded that the CoA was completely unaware of the dissonance between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli.

Rai told ESPNCricinfo in an interview, “The only thing it has taught me is that I shouldn't have taken anyone at face value.”

“I did not know about the conditions of Kumble's contract that it was one year. I did not have the foggiest idea of whether there was any dissonance between the coach and the team in the dressing room. At the time that we got to know it was only fair that we followed a process to bring about either a change or extend Kumble’s tenure. It was quite evident that there was disharmony in the dressing room and that the team could not continue with it,” he added.

The context

Over the last one month, cricket in India has been nothing short of a family drama. It all started with Kumble’s shock decision to step down as the coach of the Indian team. In a statement, he said that Kohli had ‘reservations’ about his style which had made their relationship ‘untenable’.

Then, the BCCI, for the second time, advertised for a new coach, inviting fresh applications. Shastri, who had not applied the first time thinking Kumble’s reappointment was a certainty, quickly became a favourite. He was one of five candidates interviewed by the three-man Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).

Even as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman sought time to deliberate on the final decision, Rai intervened and asked the BCCI to announce the name of the new coach. Shastri was promptly unveiled as the new coach and will maintain control until the 2019 World Cup.

The saga should have ended there. However, there was more to come. Along with Shastri’s announcement, the BCCI also announced, in accordance with the CAC, that Zaheer Khan would act as the bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid the batting consultant on overseas tours.

The heart of the matter

According to Rai, though, the CAC’s ambit did not extend to the appointment of the support staff. It was their job to choose the head coach, which they did, but choosing the support staff was not something they were responsible for.

As reported earlier, Shastri, Kohli and the board were all kept in the loop regarding the appointments of the consultants. However, Rai broke the bubble, stressing that the CAC could only recommend candidates while the final authority remained with the CoA.

To that end, a four-member committee formed by the CoA finalised Shastri’s support staff, retaining the existing pair of Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar while re-appointing Bharat Arun as the bowling coach.

What’s next?

Shastri and his entire support staff have been handed two-year contracts. Shastri had affirmed earlier today that Zaheer and Dravid could still take up permanent roles.

Author’s take

Rai’s statements reveal the lack of trust and miscommunication between the different bodies running Indian cricket. It is shocking, to say the least.