India’s poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is still in talks as the team continues to be criticized for its poor performance in Australia. Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s role also came under the scanner as the team failed to qualify for the World Test Cup final for the first time in history.
Not only Gambhir but also his support staff was not spared. At a recent BCCI meeting, board officials raised questions about the credentials of the team’s two assistant coaches, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Gautam Gambhir wanted both Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate in the Indian coaching staff after being appointed as the head coach. Both have worked with Gambhir before and he knows what to expect from them.
Also read: Devajit Saikia officially takes over Jay Shah’s position in BCCI
Gautam Gambhir’s support staff is facing the heat
According to Hindustan Times, India’s performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was discussed at the BCCI review meeting. The meeting was attended by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma, newly elected BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is currently the ICC president.
Credentials and depth of Gautam Gambhir’s support staff were among the points discussed in the meeting. Board officials have questioned the coaching expertise of Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate in the longer format of the game.
“Apart from bowling coach Morne Morkel, who comes in as a Test player, there is a growing feeling within the team that assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate lack coaching expertise, particularly when it comes to Test cricket,” the report claimed.
No testing experience for Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate
It should be noted that Morne Morkel, who is India’s bowling coach, has played a lot of Test cricket for South Africa and his role was not in question in the meeting. Morkel played 86 Tests in his career, picking up 309 wickets at an average of 27.66.
However, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeshcate have not played a single Test match in their career but have quite a lot of experience in first-class cricket. Nayar has played more than 100 first-class matches while Ten Doeschate has played more than 200 matches.
When will BCCI take further steps?
According to the report, action by the BCCI will be taken after the completion of the Champions Trophy 2025. It is likely that some more personnel may be added to the coaching staff for India’s tour of England based on their expertise.
“There is a possibility of further reinforcements in the coaching staff, of those technical experts for the tour of England,” the report claims.
The Champions Trophy will start on February 19, and the final of the tournament will be played on March 9. The players will then join the IPL season. India will play the next Test series on the tour of England in June 2025.
