Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, reportedly didn’t put up a fight about the firing of assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, as per a report by Hindustan Times. Gambhir had brought Nayar on board when he became coach, and they’ve worked together since their time with the Kolkata Knight Riders. The report mentions that when the BCCI decided to cut down Gambhir’s coaching team after a rough Test series against Australia, he didn’t oppose that decision. Instead, he was focused on keeping his preferred choices, bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate.
A source from the BCCI said, Gambhir didn’t fight back about Nayar being let go. He put in a lot of effort to get Ten Doeschate and Morkel onboard, and there was no way he was going to lose them. Some senior players reportedly had issues with Nayar’s presence in the dressing room, and he was notified about his contract not being renewed a few days ago.
Fielding coach T Dilip and Strength and Conditioning coach Soham Desai are also leaving after each spending over three years in their roles. The new rules from the BCCI have set the support staff’s duration to a maximum of three years. It looks like Adrian Le Roux, India’s first Strength and Conditioning coach, might be coming back for another stint. He’s known for bringing a solid fitness culture to the team during the 2003 World Cup.
When contacted about these changes, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia didn’t give a clear answer. He said, Certain things are being finalized. You’ll get a press note from BCCI in a few days. As for Nayar, who is 41 and a former all-rounder with a few ODIs under his belt, he hasn’t replied to a message from PTI.
