Gautam Gambhir did not oppose Abhishek Nayar's sacking: Report
What's the story
Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly did not object to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to terminate assistant coach Abhishek Nayar's contract prematurely.
Sources close to the situation revealed the information as per Hindustan Times.
Despite their successful partnership at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), it seems things didn't go as well in the Indian dressing room, which led to Nayar's early dismissal.
Here are further details.
Discontent
Nayar's relationship with senior players criticized
Nayar's failure to build a strong rapport with some senior members of the team was also cited as a reason for his sacking.
Although he had worked closely with top players such as Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer in the past, it appears he couldn't impress some veterans this time."
"The board officials took feedback from senior cricketers and some were not happy with Nayar's role inside the dressing room," a BCCI source revealed to Hindustan Times.
Coach's choice
Gambhir's recommendations led to Nayar's appointment
Notably, Nayar was appointed as India's assistant coach on Gambhir's recommendation, following an unwritten rule in the BCCI that lets the head coach choose his support staff.
The policy wasn't altered when Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid after India's T20 World Cup win.
Apart from Nayar, Gambhir also recommended Ryan ten Doeschate for the fielding coach role and Morne Morkel as the bowling coach.
Oversight
BCCI closely monitored support staff after series defeat
After India's historic Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand, the BCCI started keeping a close eye on the performance of the support staff.
The Australia tour was their litmus test.
After India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, it became even more difficult for Gambhir to hold on to his support team.
This resulted in Sitangshu Kotak being appointed batting coach after a review meeting involving the BCCI and captain Rohit Sharma.
Future plans
Kotak to continue as batting coach
Reportedly, Gambhir didn't oppose the board's decision to cut down his support staff.
Kotak is expected to continue in his role as batting coach, while the assistant coach's position could be done away with.
Meanwhile, ten Doeschate is likely to take over the fielding coach role, with Dilip's contract also having ended.
"Gambhir didn't oppose (to Nayar's sacking). He had to go through a lot of negotiations to bring ten Doechate and Morkel on board," he source added.
Future prospects
New support staff to join ahead of England Test series
The revamped support staff is expected to join the Indian team ahead of their crucial five-match Test series against England, starting June 20.
With pressure mounting after the BGT setback, the BCCI is clearly looking to reset and reinforce the team's structure and morale before another high-profile red-ball assignment.