Girls wanted a male coach: Board insider

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Sunday defended its decision of sacking Sudha Shah, the long-standing coach of the Indian women’s cricket team, just before the women’s T20 World Cup.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday defended its decision of sacking Sudha Shah, the long-standing coach of the Indian women’s cricket team, just before the women’s T20 World Cup.

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Although the women had done much better than the men by qualifying for the semifinals where they lost to Australia, a section of the media criticised Shah’s replacement by a male coach, KVP Rao.

A BCCI insider, however, revealed that the girls themselves had demanded a more professional coach.

“The girls thought a male coach will be better as he could push them out of their comfort zone,” he said. Besides, Shah’s blunder during the Bangalore ODI against England in February also led to her sacking.

While chasing a target of 184, India were reduced to 16 for four and moments later MDT Kamini was injured. Mithali Raj, however, led a spirited fight back.

“When the ninth wicket fell with three balls remaining, India needed just four runs. Mithali, who was batting on 91, was left stranded without a partner as the coach had sent Kamini back to the hotel. How can a coach allow something like this to happen?”