New Delhi: Eminent historian Ramchandra Guha, who quit from the Committee of Administrators (CoA), has attacked the way in which the contract of Indian cricket team head coach Anil Kumble was handled by the BCCI and accused the CoA of being "complicit" by its "silence and inaction".
In a letter to CoA Chairman Vindo Rai, Guha said the national team's "record this past season has been excellent" and even if the players garner the bulk of the credit, surely the Head Coach and his support staff also deserved some credit.
"In a system based on justice and merit, the Head Coach's term would have been extended. Instead, Kumble was left hanging, and then told the post would be re-advertised afresh," he said in his letter to Rai.
Clearly, he said the issue had been handled in an "extremely insensitive and unprofessional manner" by the BCCI CEO and BCCI office-bearers, with the COA, "by its silence and inaction, unfortunately being complicit in this regard".
Recalling the Supreme Court order on January 30 which had expressly mandated the CoA to supervise the management of BCCI, Guha said in case due process had to be followed since Kumble's original appointment was only for one year, "why was this not done during April and May when the IPL was on?.
"If indeed the captain and the Head Coach were not getting along, why was this not attended to as soon as the Australia series was over in late March? Why was it left until the last minute, when a major international tournament was imminent, and when the uncertainty would undermine the morale and ability to focus of the coach, the captain and the team?"
He said surely giving senior players the impression that they may have a veto power over the coach is another example of superstar culture gone berserk.
"Such a veto power is not permitted to any other top level professional team in any other sport in any other country. Already, in a dismaying departure from international norms, current Indian players enjoy a veto power on who can be the members of the commentary team," he said.
"If it is to be coaches next, then perhaps the selectors and even office-bearers will follow?"
