Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned BCCI over its struggle to appoint quality medical staff at the Centre of Excellence (COE), saying the issue needs to be addressed quickly.
Mohammad Kaif’s comments came after COE head VVS Laxman revealed that the board had approached multiple candidates for a senior medical role, but they backed out before joining.
Laxman said an Australian candidate was the first choice but could not relocate to Bengaluru. Another sports science expert, who had worked with the All Blacks setup, also pulled out at the last moment.
Kaif was surprised that the BCCI, despite having the resources to hire top professionals, was facing difficulties in filling the position.
He argued that the board’s appointed experts need to find a solution as the problem is already affecting India’s injury management.
Kaif also raised concerns about how seriously injuries are being handled. He pointed to Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the deciding ODI against England and his subsequent unavailability for India’s Test series against Sri Lanka.
India have been dealing with several injury concerns in recent months, increasing the pressure on the BCCI’s medical and rehabilitation setup.
The COE plays a key role in player rehabilitation and fitness monitoring, making the availability of experienced medical and sports science professionals important for India’s long term planning.
With injuries continuing to affect the team, Kaif believes the BCCI needs to strengthen its medical setup before the problem becomes a bigger concern.
