Does cricket coach need to be 'yes man'?
If the graceful exit of Anil Kumble as the head coach of the national cricket team reflects the superstar culture of Indian cricket, it is extremely unfortunate and leaves much to be desired about this sport's administration -- one of the richest in the world. For the last one year Kumble has delivered phenomenal results and the treatment meted out to him at the end of it all because Captain Virat Kohli had differences of opinion about his style of functioning is rather too much to stomach. If Kohli is the 'numero uno' on the field when the match is on, Kumble is the unquestioned boss off the cricket pitch.
At the same time Kumble's exit was just as graceful as his demeanour on the field during his playing days, which became inevitable once the Board of Control for Cricket in India called for fresh applications for the post of head coach for the 16-member Indian team. Until that moment on May 25, everything seemed in order with the team. After that all hell broke loose. It is not the least surprising that India, expected to win the World Cup in England, got an unbelievable pasting from Pakistan which laid India low, excelling in all the departments of the game with a clinical performance. On his part Kohli was all grace in accepting defeat while praising the Pakistan team for raising the bar unimaginably high, leaving no doubt who played percentage cricket on that most crucial day. Kumble's impending exit could not have remained a secret and its repercussions reflected on the poor, insipid and self destructive performance of the Indians which was self evident.
The rift between Kohli and Kumble came into the open when the Head Coach observed in his farewell statement that "the partnership (between him and Kohli) had become untenable". Kumble resigned despite the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman endorsing his extension, is a reflection of his inherent dignity. It was akin to his earlier departures, be it the injury induced Test retirement in 2008 or his resignation as chairman of the National Cricket Academy in 2011. Those decisions were also taken swiftly with the least fuss and he left with utmost grace. The present development highlights the cussed superstar culture undermining Indian cricket as emphasised by the former member of the Committee of Administrators, Ramachandra Guha. As the prima donna, if Kohli can demand pliable coaches, it will set a wrong example. The BCCI needs to ensure it picks a coach with the right credentials and given a contract till the 2019 World Cup in England, unlike Kumble, who got a raw one year deal. It is a position which must have an extended tenure on the strength of results, rather than bad blood vitiating the atmosphere. It will be a terribly sad day for Indian cricket if Kumble's exit means that the job of the head coach is only for 'yes men'.
The rift between Kohli and Kumble came into the open when the Head Coach observed in his farewell statement that "the partnership (between him and Kohli) had become untenable". Kumble resigned despite the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman endorsing his extension, is a reflection of his inherent dignity. It was akin to his earlier departures, be it the injury induced Test retirement in 2008 or his resignation as chairman of the National Cricket Academy in 2011.
Those decisions were also taken swiftly with the least fuss and he left with utmost grace. The present development highlights the cussed superstar culture undermining Indian cricket as emphasised by the former member of the Committee of Administrators, Ramachandra Guha. As the prima donna, if Kohli can demand pliable coaches, it will set a wrong example. The BCCI needs to ensure it picks a coach with the right credentials and given a contract till the 2019 World Cup in England, unlike Kumble, who got a raw one year deal. It is a position which must have an extended tenure on the strength of results, rather than bad blood vitiating the atmosphere. It will be a terribly sad day for Indian cricket if Kumble's exit means that the job of the head coach is only for 'yes men'.
