BCCI Centre of Excellence Under Scrutiny Amid Rising Player Injuries
The BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru is currently under scrutiny due to India’s increasing injury list. VVS Laxman, the head of the CoE, has addressed these concerns, stating that injuries are an unavoidable aspect of a cricketer’s career. He emphasized that the focus should be on monitoring players rather than seeking blame.
Laxman’s comments come as the CoE’s injury-management program faces renewed examination, particularly with India preparing for a crucial Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on August 15. Several key players are currently dealing with injuries, including Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar.
CoE’s Role and Player Monitoring
Laxman defended the broader function of the CoE, asserting that it is more than just a rehabilitation facility. He stated that the CoE plays a significant role in helping cricketers achieve excellence beyond merely recovering from injuries. He also highlighted the institution’s monitoring systems, which continuously assess players’ fitness.
He mentioned that conventional fitness tests like the Yo-Yo test cannot be conducted during a series, leading to the introduction of the Bronco test by Adrian for continuous fitness monitoring. Laxman cited Jasprit Bumrah and B Sai Sudharsan as examples of players whose fitness was evaluated using multiple parameters before decisions were made regarding their availability.
The communication between the CoE and team management regarding player fitness is described as seamless. However, the availability of both Bumrah and Sudharsan for the Sri Lanka Tests has been uncertain. Both players were initially included in India’s squad subject to fitness, but the CoE’s medical and sports science experts exercised caution after assessing their conditions.
Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to a knee issue. Sai Sudharsan was also ruled out of the series after failing to recover from a big toe injury sustained during an India A Test against Sri Lanka A last month. He had scored two centuries in the two ‘A’ Tests before sustaining the injury and has been undergoing rehabilitation at the CoE.
Other players on the injury list for the Sri Lanka series include Harshit Rana, who is recovering from a biceps femoris muscle strain after a right knee ligament injury. Nitish Kumar Reddy is recovering from a left quadriceps injury that caused him to miss recent white-ball tours. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the first Test due to a hamstring injury, and Akash Deep remains unavailable due to stress reactions in his back.
Franchise Pressure and Injury Management
A source at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence has indicated that players often continue to play through injuries during the IPL due to franchise and financial pressures. This situation, according to the source, makes their rehabilitation at the CoE more challenging.
The increasing number of injuries, particularly overuse and stress injuries, is attributed to the demanding schedule of ‘too much cricket’ and the physical limits of the human body. The source noted that team physios and CoE physios prioritize player safety, which can complicate matters for selectors, coaches, and captains.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met with Laxman at the CoE in Bengaluru to review the rehabilitation and injury-management program. The BCCI’s concern extends beyond the number of unavailable players to whether the timelines provided by the CoE consistently align with the expectations of the selectors.
Laxman reiterated that the process focuses on continuous assessment and communication, rather than assigning blame when a player experiences a setback. With a demanding Test season ahead and a growing injury list, the CoE is expected to remain under close observation as India prepares for the upcoming series.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
