Edulji, Vinod Rai squabble over coach selection

The members of the Committee of Administrators, Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji, are once again at loggerheads over the selection process of the head coach of the India women's team.

Former India captain Kapil Dev, former opener Anshuman Gaekwad and former women's Test player Shantha Rangaswamy have agreed to come on board to be part of the ad-hoc panel to select the next coach. Edulji, however, says she does not see the need for an ad-hoc committee at all.

On Tuesday (December 11), the former India women's team captain exchanged emails with CoA chairman Vinod Rai that read: "The captain (Harmanpreet Kaur) and vice captain (Smriti Mandhana) have requested their choice, so why can't we respect their choice till we get clarity on the committee? We can go ahead and continue with the same coach. The views of the two senior players must not be ignored".

In sharing her email exchanges with Rai with the media, Edulji has also opened a can of worms by touching upon the controversy that had engulfed the men's national team when Anil Kumble resigned as the coach and the CoA was left with little choice but to select a new one.

"Virat did not accede to Kumble continuing in spite of the CAC (Cricket Advisory Committee) saying so, then why don't these two players (Harmanpreet and Mandhana) get what they feel is best for the team," writes Edulji in her first email.

Rai, however, replied to Edulji, "If it is a question of respecting opinions of senior players then why not respect the opinion of the senior-most player - in fact the ODI captain (Mithali)? What I cannot understand is why some members of the team, or any other person advising them, is against having an internationally-acclaimed coach. Don't we seek to upgrade the team from the plateau that they keep hitting in international games?"

Edulji then wrote back saying, "They were truthful in expressing their views, unlike Virat who frequently sent SMSs to the CEO on which you acted and there was a change in the coach. There too I had objected and my dissent is recorded. Kumble, a legend in his own right, was subjected to loss of face and made to look like a villain. He was gracious enough to move on for which I respect him."

Rai conceded that Kumble had to step down since he had differences with Kohli but reckoned that it was not the ideal situation. "There were differences between Virat and Kumble. As a consequence of that Kumble stepped back. More importantly, the team did not send emails. The team must realise that coaches are not decided on team votes," Rai wrote.

Edulji's view is contrary to that of the CAC - consisting Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - who have gone on record to say that they put their best foot forward in selecting India's new coach. Conveying that Kumble was dropped as coach and Ravi Shastri picked solely at the insistence of Kohli brings into question the entire procedure that was followed at the time of selecting the national coach.

Edulji does not want the ad-hoc committee in place because the former cricketer believes it is contrary to the Supreme Court ruling which has asked the CAC to look into the matter. However, Rai says he is helpless because the CAC does not wish to participate in the process. "That is why, as chairman of the CoA, I've had to take the final call here," says Rai. He wrote: "Have read Diana's mail. I have considered all aspects of the issue. In the best interest of women's cricket as chairman of the COA, I reiterate my views. Rahul and Saba may please take action as instructed by me yesterday."

The murky infighting in the CoA clearly explains the severity of the mess that has engulfed the BCCI administration. The CoA being a two-member committee has been forcefully rendered to be a non-functioning body because both members do not see each eye to eye. Edulji has also accused CoA chairman Vinod Rai of taking unilateral decisions.

TOI understands that Edulji feels undermined ever since Rai formed an independent committee to probe sexual harassment allegations against Johri in October. TOI tried contacting Kohli but the skipper remained unavailable. Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman too could not be reached for comment.