BEYOND the string of controversies that have suddenly gripped women’s cricket in India lies a red-flag raised by ousted national coach Woorkeri Venkat Raman about star culture causing harm to the team. Raman’s letter to Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly and National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid is an important document that sheds light on many things that might cause irreparable damage to Indian women’s cricket in the long term. Raman was not retained as the head coach of the senior women’s team by the Board’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) which chose former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar for the job.

 

This will be Powar’s second stint as national coach after his unceremonious ouster two years ago following a nasty spat with senior player and captain Mithali Raj. After Powar’s departure, Raman did a splendid job with the team, taking it to the World Twenty20 final in Australia last year where India finished runners-up. Despite the big achievement, the CAC decided to part ways with Raman and brought back Powar whose “vision for women’s cricket” impressed senior pros Madan Lal and Sulakshana Naik. While all the aforesaid remain details of a selection process, which was bound to evoke extreme reactions from the various camps operating in Indian cricket, the moot point is about the letter written by Raman. The stylish southpaw has clearly mentioned that he would hold no grudge if the CAC found him incompetent for the job, but it would be “extremely disconcerting” if his candidature was rejected due to reasons other than his “incompetency as a coach”.

 

Raman had raised some pertinent points about an alleged smear campaign run by some BCCI officials against him. A deeper probe (which is highly unlikely given the way the present dispensation functions) might reveal the truth but those who know Indian cricket would not be surprised about the allegations. The zonal divide is a regular fault-line in Indian cricket, often leading to such campaigns. The critical observation that needs to be dealt with urgently by the BCCI is the prevailing culture in the national team. Raman's letter did not name anyone but he clearly mentioned that the star culture in the dressing room was probably doing more harm than good to the team. One cannot just brush aside the observation given the history of Indian cricket nursing prima-donnas in the system. The men’s team had presented some famous examples of a gradational divide in the dressing room when Indian cricket hit ascendancy on the dint of their performance as well as commercial power. Later years brought gradual changes in the situation when Team India finally became the motto.

 

If, the women’s team is, too, being ruled by the culture of prima-donnas, then there is something totally wrong in the system that is governing women’s cricket in India. More often than not ego issues of administrators and players pliable to them give rise to such culture. Though women’s cricket is being talked at par with men’s cricket these days, the fact remains that it has just come out of a nascent stage. There is still a long way to go for women’s cricket to become a sport worth attracting eye-balls and greenbags. The BCCI must step in now.