BCCI turn contract killers8217;

The Indian team on tour has a pecking order that borders on the weird. The trainer is forbidden from entering the ground during a match under any circumstances. Any injury to a player is to be taken care of by the team doctor. This is the Board8217;s diktat 8212; and it stinks.

The team doctor, Ravinder Chadda is a general practitioner. His expertise is not sports injuries. In most countries where sports medicine is a science, he will not be allowed to treat injuries to sportspersons with his degree.

Yet, theBoard decries that he and not the physiotherapist should enter the field in case of an injury.

Apparently, when present selector Madan Lal was manager of the team and Dr Ali Irani the team doctor, the former Test player used to handle the players8217; warm-up sessions and nets. The Board, for whatever reason, asked him not to involve himself in the warm-ups. The players were to report to him only after going through the warm-ups organised by Dr Ali Irani, the Board ruled.

Later, Kokinos, who was hired as a trainer-cum-physiotherapist from the National Institute of Sports, Australia on the recommendation of Ian Chappell and Bobby Simpson, was also confined to handling warm-ups.

The problem with this directive and the choice of team doctor was that fitness tests were unreliable.

If sources are to be believed, Indian batsman Saurav Ganguly8217;s claim that he was not fit for the match against Pakistan was readily accepted by the team doctor. There was no scientific way of ascertaining the extent of his kneeinjury sustained while bowling to Anil Kumble in the nets. The player and the team suffered for it. The player because this led to a lot of speculation and loose talk and the team because it did not have the services of a key player.

Apparently Rahul Dravid, too, suffered an injury on his knee during one of the rest days. Treatment was focused on the knee cap and when it did not respond he opted to go to a specialist who treated him behind the knee. He was ready and match fit within 12 hours.

Likewise, Nayan Mongia, with his injured left hand was unfit to play. But with no proper method to gauge the extent of his injury, he was retained in the playing eleven much to the dismay of even team members. He was a pale shadow of the 8216;keeper he is known to be and the team was worse for it.

For the record, Dr Chadda was at hand when Ravi Shastri was pronounced fit for the Australia World Cup. He was the then selector and helped in passing him fit. Shastri8217;s knee gave way in the very first match.

One wouldhave thought the Board had learnt its lesson. Instead, it is Kokinos8217; contract that may not be renewed.