MUMBAI: Three of India's most accomplished former cricketers - with a little over 60,000 international runs among them - were invited by the BCCI on Monday to form part of a new cricket advisory committee with immediate effect.
READ ALSO: New roles for Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman
Sachin Tendulkar, globally respected as the world's best batsman; Sourav Ganguly, an astute skipper who taught India how to win overseas and VVS Laxman, the elegant right-hander who gave the mighty Australians a decade long nightmare, have accepted the board's invitation to be part of the committee.
Their focus, once they're formally brought on board, will be to advise the BCCI on the various progressive steps needed to take Indian cricket forward. The trio will first meet president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary Anurag Thakur in Kolkata before the Indian team departs for Bangladesh, PTI reported.
A statement issued by the board, which didn't go into the specifics of their roles, said that the "areas of immediate focus will be to provide guidance to our national team as we set out to enhance our performance in overseas engagements, provide direction to improve our talent pathway and take steps to strengthen domestic cricket to better prepare our players to handle the rigours of international cricket".
A clearer picture will emerge later this week -by June 6 -when the roles of these stalwarts and the period of their association with the BCCI is made public. Sources said BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur held a teleconference call with the 'Big Three' on Sunday morning before taking a formal decision.
At an individual level, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya is said to have discussed with Ganguly the possibility of him coming on board a while back, while Tendulkar and former India No. 3 batsman Rahul Dravid were also sounded out informally.
Thakur, it is learnt, wanted Dravid to be part of the committee but the latter, sources say, declined because of temporary commitments. "He (Dravid) will certainly be included when he says he's available," added the source.
In Dravid's absence, the BCCI went ahead and brought in Laxman who, along with the other three and Virender Sehwag, formed the bulwark of Indian batting for more than a decade. The decision to involve these cricketers is the brainchild of Thakur, whose social media skirmishes with the N Srinivasan-led establishment last month was widely recorded.
Following the appointment of a coach and support staff, the committee's priority will be to help Team India to address the challenge when playing overseas.
The last five years - which saw a flurry of retirements in Indian cricket - turned out to be India's worst nightmare when playing overseas. The BCCI now wants a course correction, and who better that the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman to show the way. Their help in appointing a new coach and later act as facilitators between the new set-up and the administration is something that is likely to be discussed this week.
The trio will also contribute in creating a solid bench strength for the team. The amount of domestic cricket played in India each season, events that need to be disbanded or continued with, the restructuring of the National Cricket Academy, the much-talked about centralized bowling and batting academies and expert advice on revamping playing conditions are multiple aspects on which the advisory committee will be consulted.
It is not known if at least one of these members will travel with the Indian cricket team, especially on overseas assignments.
The reason being attributed to Dravid's absence from the advisory committee is that he has 'other commitments.' (TOI Photo)
When are the other announcements likely?
Most announcements are likely to be made before Team India takes flight to Bangladesh -their first overseas tour following the World Cup and the exit of Duncan Fletcher. If a new coach is not decided by then, there's a likelihood of Ravi Shastri being asked to accompany the team once again, along with the support staff that helped India till the World Cup.
Road ahead for the advisory committee
The specific roles for Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman are likely to be announced sometime this week, possibly around June 6.While their roles will be limited to the advisory committee, the announcement could coincide with the appointment of India's new coach mentor. No timeframe has been formally decided on the term these men are likely to be given, though there are suggestions they will most likely stay on till the 2016 World T20.
The trio's present commitments
Tendulkar quiet retirement: Post retirement, Tendulkar has not been associated with the BCCI in any role. In the IPL, his role in the Mumbai Indians franchise is that of an icon well-wisher who enjoys sharing his experiences with team members. Tendulkar's only commitment has been to Mumbai Indians team owner Nita Ambani's cause of educating children. He does not provide brand endorsements for any of the franchise's sponsors. At a personal level, Tendulkar has been very selective of the brands he endorses -less than half a dozen -and prefers to spend as much time as possible with family, friends, his initiatives in Andhra Pradesh to adopt a village and the Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Kerala Blasters, in which he is a co-owner.
Ganguly man of many hats: He may have retired seven years back but Ganguly has never been busier in his life. As a joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), he is busy restructuring his home association. He has taken it upon himself to build a robust state side in five years' time. The 'Vision 2020' project is dear to his heart and by roping in the likes of VVS Laxman as batting consultant and Muttiah Muralitharan as bowling coach, Sourav has shown he means business. He is also on the IPL governing council and is open to a coaching job with India. He is also high on the wish list of broadcasters worldwide as a commentator. Away from cricket, he hosts a popular Bengali TV quiz show which requires him to shoot episodes in advance.
Laxman keeping busy: Laxman too is a busy man after retirement. He is sought after by corporates for motivational speeches. He has had commentary stints with different TV channels in India and abroad. Just before IPL-8 started, he gave wing to yet another of his dreams by launching the VVS Sports Academy. The first batch of students completed their summer module on Sunday -the year-long camp begins July 1 -and immediately after the valedictory function, Laxman was on the last flight to Kolkata, where he is a batting consultant for Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) as part of their Vision 2020 programme. The CAB assignment involves Laxman spending 30 days a year with trainees in Kolkata.
THE OTHERS IN THE FRAY
Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble are some of those who missed out on being in the advisory committee. Have they been earmarked for other roles? TOI takes a look at what lies in store for them...
Rahul Dravid: The reason being attributed to Dravid's absence from the advisory committee is that he has 'other commitments.' Nobody in the BCCI top brass was willing to share any further details. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, it is learnt, has been in discussions with Dravid as much as the other three - Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman - over their possible roles in Indian cricket. It's being speculated in certain quarters that the board has 'other plans' for Dravid, the details of which will emerge in time.
Incidentally, Dravid, like Tendulkar, is associated with an IPL franchise in an advisory mentor role. He also commands immense respect among players and administrators across all levels in India and abroad. He, in fact, mentored the team in the first three Tests during last year's tour of England.
Given India's new-found interest in having homegrown coaches at the helm rather than relying on overseas recruits, Dravid may be in the running for the coach director's job. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has also been vocal on the issue. For the first time in many years, the entire support staff of the national team is also entirely Indian.
Dravid and the BCCI have, however, stayed away from commenting on any such possibility. The Indian cricket board is likely to announce the details of India's next coach, a possible team director and the rest of the support staff ahead of the tour of Bangladesh which begins on June 10. In the likelihood of a delayed announcement, there is talk of the board continuing with Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Bangar, R Sridhar and Bharat Arun.
Time will tell if the board has specific plans to include Dravid in the role of a coach or mentor.
Gavaskar and Shastri: For a long time, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have played important roles in the Indian cricket framework. Now, with the 'next generation' Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman coming on board, is it a sign of a new beginning in Indian cricket? The beginning of the new cricket season, with the tour of Bangladesh, will provide some answers.
Anil Kumble: Kumble's busy schedule with Reliance IMG and his own company in Bangalore, apart from his role as head of BCCI's technical committee, kept him away from the new roles. Kumble would have put the spotlight on India's bowling.
Source: http://m.timesofindia.com/sports/icc-world-cup-2015/top-stories/Sachin-Tendulkar-Sourav-Ganguly-and-VVS-Laxman-to-be-part-of-BCCIs-advisory-panel/articleshow/47508781.cms
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