Former Mumbai guru says MCA Technical Committee’s recommendations to sack coach and selectors midway into the season might affect team’s morale for ODIs and T20 tourneys
Mumbai players during their quarter-final match against Maharashtra at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this month. Pic/Suresh KK.
Former India pacer and Mumbai coach Karsan Ghavri is disturbed by the events unfolding at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). The recommendation of the Technical Committee that met on Thursday to sack Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni and the selection committee headed by Deepak Jadhav has not gone down well with Ghavri.
Mumbai players during their quarter-final match against Maharashtra at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this month. Pic/Suresh KK.
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A final decision on this would be taken at the January 24 Managing Committee. Ghavri felt drastic changes midway into the season might affect Mumbai’s morale further. “It is not the right way to go about carrying out changes. Let the season get over. The coach’s contract is till March. We could have waited till then. A few changes here and there would have been fine, if at all it was necessary,” Ghavri told MiD DAY yesterday.
Karsan Ghavri
“The Ranji Trophy season may be over, but it is important to remember that we have one-day (West Zone one-dayers for the Ramakant Desai Trophy) and T20 tournaments (Syed Mushtaq Ali T20) still to be played. And such drastic changes are very disturbing for the team as well. It can affect their morale. In the end, all that matters is how the atmosphere in the team is,” added Ghavri, who was Mumbai coach for a year (June 2005-2006).
Defending champions Mumbai lost to arch-rivals Maharashtra in the Ranji quarter-final despite taking a first innings lead at the Wankhede Stadium last week. Even Mumbai’s age-group teams failed to impress, making it a dismal season overall.
In Kulkarni’s three-year tenure, Mumbai lost in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in 2011-12. The following year, they won the championship for the 40th time. Ghavri said the MCA should change the trend of axing coaches and selectors once the Ranji team does not produce a desired result.
“This has always been the way the MCA has functioned. Whenever the Ranji team loses, the axe has to fall on someone. They have to remember that even losing is a part of the game. It is not that we will always win. “The same team won the Ranji Trophy last time. The same age-group teams also won everything last season. So, it is important to analyse where we went wrong and then arrive at a decision. Sacking people is not always the solution. You have to give them time to settle down. The MCA has to change this trend,” Ghavri said.
The Technical Committee has suggested Lalchand Rajput, currently the India ‘A’ coach, to be appointed coach of the Mumbai team till the end of season. “Rajput is a terrific guy. He is a successful coach. I hope Mumbai cricket flourishes under him. I wish him good luck,” said Ghavri.
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