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The shake-up in the Indian Test setup appears to go beyond performance. Not only was Rohit Sharma not retained, even several members of the support staff believed to be close to him were also shown the door, the Indian team sources told CricBlogger.
From assistant-coach Abhishek Nayar (who was appointed on Rohit’s recommendation), fielding coach T Dilip, Soham Desai (strength and conditioning coach) to Arun Kanade (message therapist) — were all sacked after the dismal Australian tour.
Days before Rohit was told about the selectors’ decision not to pick him for the England series — the Indian support staff too was changed. “Those who are close to Rohit were sacked,” a source in the know told CricBlogger.
Speculation is rife about who orchestrated these changes – whether it was the BCCI or head coach Gautam Gambhir – but there is not much clarity about it. The BCCI has yet to issue an official statement, and sources close to Gambhir have denied his involvement in the removal of the support staff.
Adding fuel to the speculation, some senior players have allegedly described the dressing room atmosphere as “toxic,” suggesting that it had become increasingly difficult to collaborate with certain support staff members. This points to possible interpersonal or cultural rifts that may have contributed to the decision-making behind the scenes.
