The Cricket Committee’s proposals for rule changes include giving umpires the power to send off players for the most serious incidents of player misconduct, including violence. All members agreed to implement this in full. All other offences would continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct.

From October 1, umpires will now be vested with the power to send players off the field for serious incidents of misconduct.

The International Cricket Council has decided that teams will no longer lose a review under the Decision Review System (DRS) if a leg before referral returns as ‘Umpires Call’, part of a slew of changes recommended by its Cricket Committee.

The ICC Chief Executives Committee approved the recommendations made by the panel headed by India’s Anil Kumble at its annual conference held in London this week.

The decisions include the use of DRS in all T20 Internationals. With the tweak in the DRS rule on umpires call, the current rule allowing the top-up of reviews after 80 overs in Tests has been removed.

The minimum standards for DRS use would include the mandatory use of accredited ball tracking and edge detection technology.

The Cricket Committee’s proposals for rule changes include giving umpires the power to send off players for the most serious incidents of player misconduct, including violence. All members agreed to implement this in full. All other offences would continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct.

Other major changes to the laws are restriction on bat dimensions (thickness of edges and depth of bat), and that a batsman will have made his or her ground when a bat bounces after being grounded behind the crease by a running or diving batsman. Currently the batsman will be ruled out if the bat is not grounded when the stumps are disturbed.

The new playing conditions will come into effect from October 1.

Article Courtesy – The Hindustan Times

It has been learnt that there were disagreements between India captain Virat Kohli and the-then head coach Anil Kumble over the selections of Karun Nair and Kuldeep Yadav during the India-Australia Test series

The Indian team took the field in the first One-day International against West Indies here on Friday, for the first time without Anil Kumble in the coach’s seat. Skipper Virat Kohli oversaw everything in the lead-up to the match, including explaining the team sheet to the match official even as he directed one of the team members through some routine.

In modern day cricket, the captain’s job has been made a lot easier with a retinue of staff taking care of little, less important details.

It seems, however, that Kohli wants to lead the team from the front, in his own way, and doesn’t mind the stress that come along with taking on extra responsibility. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Kohli said he is ready for some grey hair while handling the Indian team’s responsibilities.

Selection, remuneration issues

On Thursday, the India captain had expressed his disappointment with the way Kumble had made the rift known through social media, catching the team unawares with his outburst even as it was gearing up for the tour of the Caribbean.

As per sources, there were a variety of factors that led to differences emerging between them. For long, the Indian captain says he had kept a lid on that.

However, it has now emerged there were a variety of issues, including differences over players’ selection and remuneration. In fact, it has been learnt that Kohli had been left unhappy over Kumble reportedly not keeping his word and backtracking over issues involving players.

Asking for too much

One of issues was that Kumble had been demanding as much money as a Grade A player’s total remuneration, which came to about Rs. 9.5 crore. Although there had been reports that the coach wanted Rs. 7.5 crore, a 1 crore increment over the Rs.6.5 crore he was already getting, it has been learnt that he had increased the demand and that didn’t go down well with Kohli.

That apart, there were issues over selection of players. Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who made his Test debut in Dharamsala against Australia, was the bone of contention and it has been learnt that Kohli had been pushing for his name even as coach Kumble was objecting to his inclusion. Kumble, it is learnt, had been pushing for Karun Nair, who was struggling against Australia, and that reportedly didn’t go down well with the India captain.

Kuldeep’s inclusion at the expense of the experienced Ravindra Jadeja in Friday’s first ODI at the Queen’s Park Oval game lends credence to the theory that he had Kohli’s backing.

Kumble reportedly was one of the players who had forced the departure of Kapil Dev as team coach in the late 1990s.

Both Kumble and Kohli are or have been involved with player management companies leading to issues of conflict of interest.

Article courtesy – The Hindustan Times

Relaxing at their hotel’s waterfront foyer, India’s tour party to the West Indies is still coming to terms with the sudden resignation of their head coach Anil Kumble. It is learnt that the team, while leaving London on Tuesday morning, was unaware that Kumble wouldn’t be joining them in the Caribbean. It was only after they landed at St Lucia, their transit point en route to Trinidad, and switched on their phones that they got to know that Kumble had resigned.

“It came as a shock. The boys were dazed. There had been talk of him staying back in London to attend the ICC Cricket Committee meeting. We all thought he would join the team before the second ODI on June 25 at Port of Spain,” a source said.

It is also learnt that Kumble’s post-resignation Twitter statement — in which he said he was surprised to learn that captain Virat Kohli had reservations with his style — hasn’t gone down well with the team. “Virat had so many chances of talking about the dressing room rift during the Champions Trophy press conferences but he didn’t. He expected the same from Kumble. The team was disturbed to read those comments, that too on Twitter,” the source said.

He added, “What’s even more shocking was Kumble claiming that Tuesday was the first time he was informed about the problem. How can he claim to have been in the dark about this?” Breaking his silence for the first time since Kumble’s resignation, Kohli, speaking on the eve of India’s opening ODI match against West Indies, said, “Obviously, Anil bhai has expressed his views and he’s taken the decision to step out and we will respect that decision. We have created a culture over the last three-four years that whatever happens in the changing room, we’ve tried to maintain the sanctity of the changing room throughout.”

“What happens in the changing room is something that’s very sacred and private to all of us. And something that I would not express in detail in a public scenario,” Kohli added.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Kumble wrote: “I was informed for the first time yesterday by the BCCI that the Captain had reservations with my ‘style’ and about my continuing as the Head Coach. I was surprised since I had always respected the role boundaries between Captain and Coach. Though the BCCI attempted to resolve the misunderstandings between the Captain and me, it was apparent that the partnership was untenable, and I therefore believe it is best for me to move on.”

Interestingly, Kohli has deleted his year-old Twitter post, in which he had welcomed Kumble’s appointment as coach. The June 23, 2016 tweet — “Heartiest welcome to @anilkumble1074 Sir. Look forward to your tenure with us. Great things in store for Indian Cricket with you.” — is no longer on Kohli’s timeline. No member of the present Indian team has acknowledged Kumble’s resignation or commented on his tenure as coach on social media.

Even the hosts seemed a tad bemused by Kumble’s no-show, with a West Indies Cricket Board official insisting that they had been unaware till Wednesday whether they should retain the room booking for him or not.

“As far as we are concerned, Kumble was listed as India coach and we thought he would be showing up in Port of Spain at some point during this week,” the official said. Another official quipped how in the past, there were always fears of the BCCI sending second-string sides to face the West Indies and this time, they have sent a full-strength squad but one without a head coach.

Article Courtesy – The Indian Express

Sunil Gavaskar described the resignation of national cricket head coach Anil Kumble as a sad day for Indian cricket and patted him for doing a great job in his one-year stint.

“I have very little knowledge about the differences between Virat and Anil. But it is a really sad day for Indian cricket,” Gavaskar said. “India have won everything since the time Anil took over. I can’t see Anil doing much wrong in one year. Difference happen in any team but see at the results,” he said.

The legendary batsman also raised some pertinent questions regarding the future of coaches of the Indian cricket team.

“All that I am saying because of the next coach. So the next coach knows exactly where he stands. ‘If I do this, is this going to be overbearing. If I tell you to report to practice at 9.30, is it going to be overbearing. If I say to you that I want some extra nets from you, I want you to catch 50 more catches or if I want you to bowl 20 more deliveries in the nets, is it overbearing’. For the next coach’s sake it is important that these things are clarified,” said Gavaskar in an interview with NDTV.

Gavaskar also believes that Kohli should put forth his side of the story soon. “My advice to Virat would be to make a statement and make things clear. Kumble also needs to clarify who in the BCCI informed him about Virat’s unhappiness about him. A statement from Kohli will help clear the air, saying this is what I feel and my issue with Kumble.

“Let’s wait and see what exactly players found wrong in Anil Kumble. We need to also find out whether they found it overbearing and what exactly is overbearing. Let’s get a clarification also.”

Gavaskar also, in a rather sarcastic way, suggested the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) to not waste their time selecting a coach and leave that job for the players themselves. “It is because of the team and the captain not liking Anil Kumble’s methods we have come to this situation. Why not save all the trouble and ask them while they are in the West Indies, ‘Listen, you guys, who do want as coach. We have eight or ten applications or whatever applications… So who do you want as coach’ and that’s it. Simple.”

During his playing days, Kumble was known as a feisty fighter, even winning matches by bowling with a broken jaw, and Gavaskar wondered why he did not stand up this time. “Anil must have had his reasons (of resigning). I would have thought Anil would carry on. Once the CAC expressed their confidence in him, Anil should have stuck around. Hope he will take it on the chin and comes back stronger. But it is the first time a known fighter like Anil did not stand up,” said the former captain.

“I know that the CAC met Virat and had a very long session with him,” Gavaskar added. “Anil’s experience as a player and as an administrator needs to be utilised. CAC should be doing more for Indian cricket than just selecting the coach.”

He said India will have to appoint a coach before the team goes to Sri Lanka. “It is for the CAC to take a call on that.”

Article Courtesy – Daily News and Analysis

Dada plays with a straight bat.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday said it was Anil Kumble’s personal decision to step down as head coach but refused to comment on the speculated rift with Virat Kohli.

“He has resigned at the last minute, it’s his personal decision. I don’t want to talk on this matter,” Ganguly, a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) formed to recommend the coach, said at CAB on Friday. “I’m aware of everything that’s happening at the moment, I’ve even spoken with both Kohli and Kumble, but I believe things like these are confidential and shouldn’t be discussed in public.”

Kumble, in his parting statement, has said Kohli had reservations about his coaching ‘style’ and their partnership was untenable as he did not accompany the side in the ongoing tour to the West Indies.

Article Courtesy – Daily News and Analysis

After former head coach Anil Kumble stepped down from his post on Tuesday, many felt that captain Virat Kohli finally had his way in the scheme of things, but if reports are to be believed, the skipper has also been warned to either perform or step down from the post.

“It has been given to understand that Kohli eventually had the veto power on the coach issue which pushed Kumble out of the team. Now that he has his way, he has to deliver as captain. Otherwise, he had it,” Times of India quoted a BCCI official as saying.

Team India had a brilliant run in the past few months, winning series against Australia, England, New Zealand and Bangladesh before reaching the finals of the Champions Trophy in England. However, despite the success, reports of a rift between Kohli and Kumble had started surfacing in the last couple of weeks before things turned way too ugly.

The BCCI had invited applications for the post of the new head coach around a month back before the Committee of Administrators endorsed an extension for the legendary leg-spinner till the end of the West Indies tour. However, Kumble, who had stated in his resignation that the relation between him and Kohli had become “untenable”, chose to step down without further controversies.

Under Kohli, the team has played just two limited-overs series, but managed to edge out victories in both of them. The loss in the Champions Trophy was thus the first in which Kohli failed as a captain but somewhere it eased out the process of Kumble’s exit.

Kohli, however, has numbers by his side. Before taking over the mantle from Dhoni as a full-time captain in the limited-overs format in January, Kohli had led India in 17 ODIs, and lost just three matches, including on his captaincy debut against Sri Lanka in Kingston.

India play a five-match ODI series and a one-off T20I against West Indies, starting June 23 and although it’s a major mismatch on paper, Kohli would know deep down that even a single failure would earn him a lot of flak.

Article Courtesy – The Hindustan Times

Virat Kohli, India skipper, has said he will not reveal details of the differences that led to Anil Kumble stepping down as team’s coach.

India captain Virat Kohli didn’t say in as many words but politely hinted that coach Anil Kumble’s decision to make public the differences between them broke an unwritten code that everyone must respect the sanctity of not revealing dressing room matters.

“I attended eleven press conferences in Champions Trophy and created a culture in the team wherein the sanctity of the dressing room was maintained,” he told a media conference at the team hotel on Thursday when asked if the situation could have been handled better.

“I tried to maintain that and the belief that whatever happens there (in the dressing room) stays there.”

It seemed the India skipper, who had been denying that there was any rift and had even alleged that journalists were concocting stories for a living, was let down by Kumble who chose to reveal his side of the story and the differences with the captain through social media.

“Anil bhai has expressed his views and taken a decision to step out. We all respect that decision. It is something that has happened right after the tournament.

“I always maintain whatever happens in the change room is sacred and is not to be expressed in public. But his opinion is there and we respect it,” said the India skipper.

Anil Kumble stepped down as coach on Tuesday, deciding not to travel with the team to the West Indies. He released a statement on Twitter, saying there were ‘untenable’ differences between him and Kohli.

Both Kumble and Kohli are strong personalities and the decision to pick certain players led to flare-ups, if talk doing the rounds is to be believed. There is also talk that Kumble being a strict disciplinarian didn’t go down well with Kohli who, though intense, is more outgoing.

This ODI series is happening right after the Champions Trophy and Kohli says coming to the West Indies is a welcome change as the atmosphere is always relaxed.

Focus on World Cup

However, a bigger task for him will be to prepare the team for World Cup 2019 all by himself now that Kumble is not there.

“I have great respect for him (Kumble) and there’s no taking away from him what he’s done for the team,” he said.

The India skipper confirmed that Ajinkya Rahane will open with Shikhar Dhawan in place of Rohit Sharma, who has been rested.

Confirming that the core of the team will remain the same for World Cup 2019, he said there will be slots up for grabs.

“You have to identify the 15 out of a pool of 25 and pick those who are performing and handling the pressure well. There is plenty of exciting talent and opportunities to prove and there’ll be slots up for the grabs.”

Article Courtesy – The Hindustan Times