Published 15:38 IST, March 6th 2020
Rahul Dravid at fault for Ishant Sharma's recent injury: BCCI official
A BCCI official believes the National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid should take responsibility for Ishant Sharma's injury before the 2nd Test vs NZ.
The National Cricket Academy in Bangalore has come under the scanner again after Indian pacer Ishant Sharma was ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand after a breakdown with a recurring injury. The NCA was held responsible for the lack of match fitness of both Wriddhiman Saha and Bhuvnmeshwar Kumar in the past and the Ishant Sharma injury just makes it worse for them. An anonymous BCCI official on Thursday said that NCA head Rahul Dravid should take responsibility for NCA’s repeated blunders.
Rahul Dravid NCA: BCCI official says Rahul Dravid should take responsibility for Ishant Sharma injury
Speaking to a leading Indian news media outlet, a BCCI official has brought up the Ishant Sharma’s injury issue and how the academy has managed players in the past. The official believes that as the head of the NCA, Rahul Dravid should take responsibility for NCA’s blunders and put an end to the mismanagement of India’s top stars. The official added that administration in the country is objective and ruthless and Rahul Dravid might have to answer for Ishant Sharma’s injury to the Sourav Ganguly led-BCCI.
Rahul Dravid NCA: NCA head physio under the scanner of Sourav Ganguly's BCCI regime
The BCCI official has also questioned Rahul Dravid’s decision to back head physio Ashish Kaushik despite his repeated failures. The official added that the magnitude of support Kaushik has received from Rahul Dravid is massive, but his repeated blunders, in this case, Ishant Sharma, have put him under fire. The BCCI official suggested the former India captain would be better off hiring an objective and neutral person as a physio. He added that Rahul Dravid must realise that there are new office bearers who are responsible to the general body and things have changed over the past year under the new regime of Dravid's former teammate Sourav Ganguly.
BCCI official: Bumrah back to fitness not following NCA methods
The BCCI official pointed out how Jasprit Bumrah returned to action from injury despite not appearing for an NCA fitness Test. Ishant Sharma had famously thanked Kaushik after he cleared the fitness test, before getting out injured again for the foreseeable future. The official expressed his shock after Jasprit Bumrah was not administered a fitnesstest and is back to full fitness, while the same cannot be said for Ishant. The Rahul Dravid-led NCA and the Team India medical staff continues to be under question as Ishant Sharma’s unavailability is yet to be disclosed.
Updated 15:38 IST, March 6th 2020