Every state will appoint strength and conditioning coach, have sports medicine team: BCCI Secretary

Keeping in mind the recent spate of injuries among Indian cricketers, the BCCI has decided to ask its state units to appoint their own strength and conditioning coaches and have in place sports science and sports medicine teams. It was decided in the Board’s Special General Meeting (SGM) on Saturday that each state unit will have strength and conditioning coaches interviewed by a panel from the National Cricket Academy.

“To address injury concerns of players, we have created a structure where every state association will appoint a strength and conditioning coach and a sport science and sports medicine team. The candidates will be interviewed by the NCA panel,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said after the SGM. Indian cricketers, particularly fast bowlers, have been plagued by injuries recently, with many of them spending the majority of last year at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.Shah also said that the Indian women’s team will have a head coach appointed before they embark on the limited-overs tour of Bangladesh in July this year. The tour comprises three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Shah said, “The shortlist for the women’s team head coach has already been done. The CAC (Cricket Advisory Committee) will meet and decide accordingly. We may have a new women’s team head coach before the Bangladesh series.” He said the Indian cricket board is in talks with its counterparts in England and New Zealand to organise India A tours, which has helped players get accustomed to the challenges and exposed them to new conditions.

Shah was speaking on the eve of the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans here. “On India ‘A’ shadow tours, we are currently in conversation with England and New Zealand,” Shah said.He also said the BCCI is looking to organise the second edition of the Women’s Premier League before March next year.”We will have a discussion with the broadcaster and decide a window. We will be looking at a window for organising the next edition of the Women’s Premier League before March 2024,” Shah said.