'Injuries are part of professional sport': VVS Laxman defends CoE
What's the story
As Team India's injury woes continue to mount ahead of their Test tour of Sri Lanka, the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) has come under fire. However, its head VVS Laxman has defended the Bengaluru-based facility. He stressed that injuries are an inevitable part of a cricketer's journey and the focus should be on monitoring players rather than seeking scapegoats. The CoE has been under scrutiny over rehabilitation timelines, fitness assessments, and communication between its sports science team and national selection committee.
Facility's purpose
Not just a rehabilitation center: Laxman on CoE's role
Defending the CoE, Laxman said it isn't just a rehabilitation center but has a bigger role to play in helping cricketers achieve excellence.
His comments come as the facility's injury-management program is under fresh scrutiny with India set to begin a crucial Test series against Sri Lanka on August 15.
The CoE head also refused to blame any individual or department for India's injury issues, stressing that injuries are part and parcel of professional sport.
Monitoring systems
Laxman on continuous monitoring systems
Laxman highlighted the CoE's continuous monitoring systems and measures to assess players, instead of just relying on traditional fitness tests.
"CoE is not merely a rehab centre. There are bigger roles to play for it in helping cricketers achieve excellence," Laxman said at a press conference in Bengaluru.
The CoE chief also gave examples of Jasprit Bumrah and B Sai Sudharsan whose fitness was assessed through multiple parameters before decisions were made on their availability.
Fitness assessments
Bumrah and Sudharsan's availability under cloud for SL Tests
The comments from Laxman are significant given the uncertainty surrounding the availability of both Bumrah and Sudharsan for the Sri Lanka Tests.
Both players were initially named in India's squad subject to fitness, but CoE's medical and sports science experts opted for caution after assessing their respective conditions.
Bumrah's knee continues to be a problem after an impact injury while Sudharsan had been spending considerable time batting in nets as part of his recovery.
The former has officially been ruled out of the series while Sudharsan's availability is highly unlikely.
Statement
Laxman refuses the blame game
Laxman also refused to blame India's injury problems to a particular department.
"Injuries are part and parcel of any player's career. That's why monitoring system is very critical. And we don't use the term blame then we will be trying to find scapegoats," he said.
The chief also talked about different methods to monitor players' fitness.
"Yo Yo test cannot be done when a player is part of the series, so we have introduced Bronco test by Adrian, so that the fitness can be monitored continously."
Program review
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reviews CoE's injury-management program
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met Laxman at the CoE in Bengaluru on Sunday to review its rehabilitation and injury-management program.
For the BCCI, the concern isn't just how many players are unavailable but also if the timelines given by CoE have matched selectors' expectations.
However, Laxman maintained that the process focuses on continuous assessment and communication rather than blaming when a player suffers a setback.