Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has said that BCCI’s inability to hire a top-notch medical professional for the Centre of Excellence needs to be fixed soon, because the absence of one is impacting players’ fitness, with several players sustaining injuries and being ruled out of matches at the same time.
The latest blow is Sai Sudharsan’s exclusion from India’s upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka because of a toe injury. He joins ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar on the sidelines, with all five ruled out of the series due to injuries.
The spate of injuries has frustrated BCCI, with multiple players making trips to the CoE in Bengaluru for rehab. The problem gained further attention when
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia travelled to Bengaluru to discuss the situation with CoE head VVS Laxman.
Laxman revealed during a press conference that BCCI has faced hurdles in finding the right personnel for the CoE. He said that the board had approached multiple candidates, but some potential appointments fell through at the final stage.
“There was a statement from VVS Laxman that they had approached several people. Those things were being worked out, but at the last minute, they turned it down,” Kaif said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“So, what I am trying to say is that whatever is happening needs to be fixed. I am not an expert on this. The experts appointed by the BCCI need to do their job. But I am telling you that it’s having a significant impact,” Kaif said.
“Now, I am surprised because so many people are eager to work with BCCI. We have so much money that if we call someone, they will come running. They do, don’t they?” Kaif questioned.
