St Kitts: Anil Kumble has been very active and has taken many initiatives since his appointment as coach of the Indian cricket team. After working on team bonding, the head coach has taken another initiative to rein in the undisciplined players in the team.
Kumble has introduced a fine of $50 on players who are late for the team bus, according to a report in The Indian Express. The rule, a first of its kind, has been introduced to instill discipline in the young team, which is set to take on West Indies in a four-Test series.
In his first meeting in the Caribbean, Kumble has also conveyed to the players to that an official team meeting will be held every fourth day and that his doors are always open for the players who want to have a chat.
According to the report, Kumble also tried to streamline the role of the support staff. For example, masseurs have been given a fixed schedule — players can no longer barge in asking for massage.
“Everything is organised. Kumble wants players to understand the importance of discipline and, at the same time, give them freedom. He knows where to draw the line. The Indian team is scheduled to go for scuba diving in the coming days. These small things have been kept for the players to unwind,” a source was quoted as saying in the report.
India landed in the Caribbean earlier this month, and drew the first of the two practice matches against the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s XI in St Kitts, with the second tour game set to take place on 14 July.
The month-long four-match Test series against West Indies will kick off on 21 July in Antigua, with the remaining matches to take place at Jamaica, St Lucia and Barbados.