Indian women’s team without coach 2 months before T20 World Cup, BCCI transfer Ramesh Powar to NCA

The preparations must be at full tilt. The think tank of the team — captain, senior players, coaches — must be cooking up plans and strategies. The players must be working on their weaknesses and polishing their strengths. Or so you would assume.

But like a ship needs a captain to navigate the sea, a team needs a coach to chart a path towards a destination. And Indian women’s cricket team doesn’t have one at the time of writing this. Indian cricket board (BCCI), in its infinite wisdom, on Tuesday announced that the head coach of the women’s team, Ramesh Powar, will no longer be with the team.

“Mr. Ramesh Powar, former Head Coach of the senior women’s team will join Mr. VVS Laxman, Head Cricket, National Cricket Academy and will switch to Men’s cricket as part of the restructuring module of the BCCI,” the board said in an unsigned media advisory on Tuesday.
India were the runners-up of the last edition of the World Cup in 2020 that was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in front of a record 86,174 spectators — largest for an ICC T20 World Cup final, including both the men’s and the women’s event.

It was a proof of the huge popularity of the women’s cricket. Concrete, not abstract. Of course, the presence of the greatest women’s cricket team and hosts Australia was a major reason for so many people to turn up at the ’G. But would it have been possible if the Indian team wasn’t there? (Don’t worry, it’s a rhetorical question.)

They don’t have the big trophies to show (as of now) but they are always among the contenders to reach the later stages of big tournaments. They have been, on a couple of occasion, within a touching distance of major achievements. There are some big stars in their line-up with a huge fan base that follow them everywhere they go and expect a high level of performance, especially in ICC events.

How are they supposed to do that when they don’t have a coach just two months out of World Cup?

When the BCCI invited application for the head coach’s job in April 2021, it was advertised as a “two-year term”. From the date of his appointment in May 2021, his term should have run till April 2023 and easily cover the T20 World Cup in South Africa. The BCCI communique didn’t make it clear whether Powar’s contract was terminated before shifting him to the NCA. Couldn’t the BCCI wait for another two months?

It looks like a hasty move made without giving much consideration to its impact on the women’s team. While they immediately named a batting coach in Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who will also head the support staff for the upcoming five-match T20I series at home against Australia from December 9, there was no information on the replacement of the head coach.

Kanitkar is an experienced player and has worked with several teams as coach. He is definitely capable of coaching the women’s team at the World Cup. But it’s a very short time for anyone to take up the responsibility and prepare the team for a major multi-nation tournament.

Maintaining continuity is difficult, if not impossible, for someone who wasn’t part of the previous system. There are too many factors to factor in for a coach before he/she look to create a system and develop an understanding with players in an international team. They may still do well, you never know, but the whole situation doesn’t reflect well on the cricket board’s professionalism.