Vice-captains Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were invited by the CoA in Team India’s performance appraisal meeting with head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli to create a roadmap for the Australia tour and discuss some serious issues like ‘player conduct’ and ‘misscomminication’ with centrally contracted players.
The meeting, which will take place in Hyderabad on Wednesday originally was supposed to involve Kohli, Shastri and the CoA members. However, a late adjustment was made, inviting both the limited overs and Test vice-captains to get their point of view on various issues concerning Indian cricket.
While the top agenda will be the Australian tour, code of conduct for centrally-contracted players, the requirement of extra support staff and the issue of frequent chopping changing in the playing XI will also be discussed in detail.
Rohit, while leading India in the Aisa Cup had raised the issue of frequent changes in the Indian side, resulting in unsettled and concerned players. “Nobody likes to be dropped amd back into the squad again. We want everyone to be feeling safe and settled so that they can feel freely. As a captain or player, you want your team to be settled and even the guys who are eyeing that spot wants to b settled,” Rohit had said.
On the contrary, Indian captain Virat Kohli believes in horses for courses theory and has very little faith in giving comfort to the players for their spots in the playing XI. He had made it clear during the England tour that he and coach Shastri will select the team based on conditions and not on form or reputation.
Another big issue will be the communication channel between the team management, selectors and discarded players.
Recently, Karun Nair and Murali Vijay went on record stating that there was "no communication" from either the selectors or the team management, an allegation emphatically denied by the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad and COA chief Vinod Rai.
While Prasad has said that his colleague Devang Gandhi has spoken to the concerned players, Indian captain Virat Kohli refrained from making any comments on the issue.
However, Vijay and Nair's public statements on the selection committee are being considered a violation of the 'Code of Conduct' for the centrally-contracted players.
"Obviously, the matter will be raised at the meeting. The BCCI has maintained that Vijay is not giving the true picture. Gandhi explained the position of selectors to Vijay in presence of team manager Sunil Subramanium," a BCCI official told PTI today.
It is unlikely that any decision on skipper Kohli's request to have the wives of players and support staff being allowed for the full duration of overseas tours will be taken immediately.
The main issue will be preparation for the tour of Australia that starts with a three-match T20 series on November 21.
But the main discussion will be centred around the four-Test series beginning December 6 in Adelaide.
The Indian team management has already asked for an extra tour game before the first Test in order to prepare better.
Cricket Australia had responded positively to the request and are in the process of arranging an extra tour game.
Some of the Test specialists like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara are expected to travel to New Zealand with the India A team in order to get ready for the Australia series.
There are talks of having a specialist spin bowling coach with the Indian team as the slow bowlers have struggled outside the sub-continent.
Names like Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and current NCA coach Narendra Hirwani are doing rounds in case the COA gives a go-ahead to appoint a new spin bowling consultant.