New Delhi: India ODI and Test captaincy Shubman Gill He expressed concerns over the fitness standards of the team after England’s ODI series defeat. Over the past year, a series of players have collapsed before or during series, repeatedly putting teams in trouble. Gill said India may be missing a trick when it comes to managing player fitness.His comments have brought into focus the breakdown of the coordination system that has been established between team management and Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in India. Not long ago, all of India’s key players have recovered and are available to participate in three ICC events in 2023, 2024 and 2025. TOI understands that some senior players are struggling to adapt to the new system after the personnel changes last year. Of greatest concern is the recurrence of hamstring injuries.“The recent spate of hamstring injuries suggests players may not be fully fit before taking the field. There appears to be a communication gap between the CoE and team management regarding player fitness and workload.” BCCI sources said. The European Commission has yet to appoint a head of the medical staff since the departure of Nitin Patel. “The standard operating procedures set out in 2023 have not been updated. Data collection has become more robust, but action has become slower,” the source added.
Players push without a clear plan
During Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, the BCCI medical team, CoE and team management prepared a year-long roadmap for individual players around major ICC events. The aim is to get each player to the required fitness level in time for the next ICC tournament or major Test series.The recurring injuries to Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy have not gone down well with the BCCI. Sources say Reddy was pushed to speeds close to 140 kilometers per hour to compensate for the injury-prone condition Hardik Pandya.“Reddy worked with England bowling coach Stefan Jones to improve his pace. However, it needs to be a gradual process as he prepares for a big event with the team. Instead, he pushes himself to bowl faster whenever he is with the team,” the source said.“It is a bit worrying how the European Commission approved Hashit’s weight at the insistence of the team management when he was not at his pre-knee injury weight. These things need more attention,” the source added.For example, Jasprit Bumrah is a special case of BCCI. Even with his history, he’s barely forced to hit high speed just months away from a major mission. When a task arrives, his load is gradually increased to reach the required level.Akash Deep, who has shouldered the burden of Bengal’s pace attack in many Ranji Trophy games, has barely broken down, but he has not been able to bear the burden of two Test matches since his return from injury in last year’s IPL.“Akash injured his hamstring during the Tests in England last year. Then he was cleared for domestic cricket again. He played till Bangladesh lost the Ranji semi-final and has been sidelined with a stress fracture since then. Ko needs to see why these things are happening,” the source said. “It has to be seen whether injury prevention measures are being implemented appropriately.As for Gill, he was also struggling with a hamstring issue in the recent ODI series in England, where he crossed the 50 mark in both games.
Little support between tasks
It is understood that some players are anxious about the limited communication from the BCCI medical team when they are not traveling with the national team.“There are very few all-rounders now. Most of the players get decent rest during international matches. If they are not undergoing rehab at the CoE, they are left alone. There is very little communication,” the source said.The latest example is Rohit Sharma’s hamstring issue during the IPL. While the Mumbai Indians management spent nearly a month trying to figure out what went wrong, Rohit took it upon himself to consult records in the BCCI database, which had monitored him while playing in all three formats.The team management is also worried about Washington Sundar’s repeated breakdowns. It is understood that although Reddy, Rana and Washington are all young, they have spent considerable time recovering from injuries with physical therapists.“Apart from Washington, who has been having health issues, it’s concerning to see Sanju Samson gain weight so easily. This is the result of a flaw in the system. The overall playing level has dropped due to these health issues,” the source said.“Players need a more hands-on, empathetic approach from the medical team. Currently, most experienced international cricketers are reluctant to seek intervention from the CoE. They prefer to train elsewhere on their own schedule. This issue needs to be addressed,” the source added.
