‘Not a rehab centre’: VVS Laxman defends BCCI CoE amid injury concerns
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Not a rehab centre’: VVS Laxman defends BCCI CoE amid injury concerns")
VVS Laxman Photograph: (BCCI)
VVS Laxman defended the BCCI Centre of Excellence amid India’s injury concerns, stressing that its role extends beyond rehabilitation and that injuries are part of a cricketer’s career.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman said the facility has a much wider role than simply helping injured players recover, while highlighting the importance of monitoring systems in preventing and managing injuries.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Laxman said injuries are a normal part of every sportsperson’s career and stressed that no one should be blamed when a player suffers an injury.
“CoE is not a rehab centre. There’s a bigger responsibility and mandate given by the BCCI,” Laxman said.
“Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s career. That’s why the monitoring system is very critical. And we don’t use the term blame; then we will be trying to find scapegoats,” he added.
Laxman’s comments came at a time when concerns have increased over the number of injuries affecting Indian players. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met Laxman on Sunday to review the injury management and rehabilitation programme at the CoE.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas and other senior officials also attended the press conference.
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Laxman also addressed the vacant position of Head of Sports Science and Medicine (SSM) at the CoE and said that the BCCI has found it difficult to appoint the right person for the important role.
According to Laxman, the position requires more than just experience and reputation. The person must also understand the specific needs of Indian cricketers.
“After Nitin (Patel) left, we couldn’t fill his shoes. Everything was agreed upon; Andrew (Leipus) backed off citing family reasons,” Laxman said.
He revealed that the BCCI had shortlisted five candidates for the position, however, the top candidate, an Australian whose name was not revealed, later pulled out after deciding that he could not move to Bengaluru.
“We shortlisted five candidates; No. 1 was Australian, can’t name him. He suddenly backed out, saying he can’t move to Bengaluru. It’s not a consultant role. You want the person to be there. It’s day-to-day monitoring,” Laxman said.
Laxman added that the vertical heads at the CoE have taken on additional responsibilities because the Head of SSM position remains vacant.
“Another professional, head of All Blacks… he agreed and backed out. To fill in that position, not just stature and experience, but understanding of Indian cricketers is important. With the Head of SSM position not filling, the vertical heads have stepped up,” he said.
His comments come amid increasing scrutiny of the CoE’s injury-management system, as Indian players Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are among those currently undergoing rehabilitation at the facility. All three have been ruled out of India’s upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on Aug 15.
The CoE is also overseeing the rehabilitation of several white-ball players, including Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy and Prince Yadav.
With inputs from agencies
