NEW DELHI: Before officially stepping into his role as India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir encountered a minor setback. Reports indicate that Gambhir’s recommendation for Jonty Rhodes as the fielding coach has been turned down by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Gambhir, who has recently been appointed as India’s head coach, had proposed the name of Jonty Rhodes, widely regarded as one of the best fielders to have ever played the game. Rhodes had previously worked with Gambhir at Lucknow Super Giants, where Gambhir was a mentor. However, the BCCI remains steadfast in its policy of maintaining an all-Indian support staff for the national team, a practice that has been in place for the past seven years.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the BCCI is not inclined to hire foreign personnel for the support staff. This decision comes as India transitions to a new coaching regime following the completion of the tenures of previous head coach Rahul Dravid and his support staff, which included batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip, post the T20 World Cup.
As per the same HT report, Gambhir’s proposal for R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach was also reportedly not supported by the board.
Additionally, there were earlier reports from Cricbuzz about Gambhir advocating for the inclusion of former Netherlands international Ryan ten Doeschate in his support staff. Ten Doeschate, who served as the fielding coach for Kolkata Knight Riders, is also involved with the franchise’s teams in the Caribbean Premier League and Major League Cricket.
Despite these recommendations, the BCCI has made it clear that the final decision on the composition of the support staff rests solely with them. Gambhir’s setback indicates the board’s commitment to maintaining its current strategy and structure for the Indian cricket team’s support personnel.
The cricketing community now awaits the BCCI's final decision on the support staff that will work alongside Gambhir as he embarks on his new journey as India’s head coach.
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