Soon, Indian cricket will have a new Test captain ahead of the five-match series in England following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. A media release could land up any part of the day (journalists have often received BBCI press releases post 10 pm). There could be a media interaction with chief selector Ajit Agarkar followed by the new captain being made available to the media. Hopefully.
The BCCI, for all the plaudits it gets for being the heartbeat of international cricket on and off the field, is not top of the class when it comes to communication. They don’t always believe in confirmation of appointments and exits of key personnel. For example, no Board official went on record to talk about assistant coach Abhishek Nayar’s exit although Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed the former India ODI player’s return to being a support staff member of the franchise. By the way, the BCCI found no need to inform the media about the entry of bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate when Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach last year. It was Gambhir who said they are on board during a press conference before the Sri Lanka tour last July. The recent news of fielding coach T Dilip being relieved too was source-based. Even the appointment of Sitanshu Kotak as batting coach was made without the media coming to know officially immediately.
I discovered that the BCCI’s approach to communication is in complete contrast to what Cricket West Indies (CWI) came up with the other day while announcing the appointment of Roston Chase as captain for the forthcoming home series against World No. 1 Test team, Australia. Chase was appointed in the wake of Kraigg Brathwaite’s decision that he had enough of the job which fetched 10 Test wins, but 22 losses.
Every important decision is prefaced with backroom talk, mystery and innuendo, but CWI did well to reveal the thinking behind the appointment of Chase. Interestingly, Chase, 33, will figure in Test cricket two years after he played his last – against South Africa at Johannesburg in March 2023.
The Caribbean cricket board did not miss out on an opportunity to tell the world via their May 17 press release how a lot of thought went into selecting Chase as captain: “Recognising the critical role of leadership in shaping team culture, driving performance, and ensuring long-term success, CWI adopted a data-informed, multidimensional framework to guide the selection. This marks a significant evolution in how leadership appointments are made, aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency, and alignment with modern cricketing standards.” What sounded less corporate than the above was the process they followed to pick Mr Right. The release added, “The process began with a shortlist of candidates selected based on factors including Test experience, leadership qualities, and captaincy credentials. The shortlisted players included: John Campbell, Tevin Imlach, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, and Jomel Warrican.”
That ODI and T20I captain Shai Hope declined the Test captaincy was part of the media communication too. The mental capabilities of candidates also came into the mix and rightly so since the job involves a great deal of mental resolve. According to CWI, “each candidate went through a detailed assessment process that included psychometric testing to evaluate leadership style, behaviour, and overall suitability for the role, as well as structured interviews focused on tactical approach, communication skills, and team culture. The interview panel consisted of Head Coach Daren Sammy, Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, and Chairman of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee, Enoch Lewis.”
Point to note: The West Indies cricket bosses have decided to do away with selectors. Desmond Haynes and Roland Butcher were the last before the powers decided to opt for a data-based selection process involving talent identifiers to work with head coach Sammy, the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup-winning captain and Bascombe. Veteran commentator and writer, Joseph ’Reds’ Perreira, who turned 86 on Monday, wasn’t too impressed by CWI’s detailed announcement. He pointed out that CWI revealed the names of the six captaincy candidates only after a journalist broke the story of the chosen six. And he was a touch disappointed to see Tevin Imlach, the 28-year-old Guyanese, miss out on the vice-captain’s job (it went to Warrican).
However, he supported the appointment of Chase since, “he has been in the trenches.” The seasoned broadcaster now wants to see the new captain score big runs.
Back to communications. CWI’s latest method of sharing information with the media is worth emulating.
And what does one make of the decisions of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to announce their Test retirements on social media and not let the news come from the Board? Disrespect towards their employers or cashing in on the benefits of using those platforms? Take your pick.
mid-day’s Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.