‘If team doesn’t do well, the coach is sacked’: Former coach opens up on ‘lot of politics’ in Indian women’s cricket

Former Indian women's cricket team coach Tushar Arothe has voiced a strong statement about the environment within the team, saying it is riddled with 'politics' and 'appeasement'.

Former Indian women's cricket team coach Tushar Arothe has voiced a strong statement about the environment within the team, saying it is riddled with 'politics' and 'appeasement'.

A file photo of former Indian women’s cricket team coach Tushar Arothe. (Getty Images)

In a scathing attack, he further added that some members of the team interfered with the functioning of the backroom staff.

The statement comes after Ramesh Powar was re-elected as the head coach of the women's team. He replaced WV Raman at the helm, under whom the Indian team made the finals of the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.

The women's team has seen four different coaches in as many years and unlike the men's team, there has been a lot of chopping and replacing.

Arothe, while speaking to News 18, went on to add that the team's poor performances can also be attributed to the coaches.

"Simply put, there is a lot of politics in women’s cricket. In comparison, men’s cricket is very transparent. What I have seen from very close quarters in the team is that there is a lot of appeasement going on. I think the blame falls on former women players. Also, it is about the culture in the team. If the team doesn’t do well in a tournament, the coach is sacked. If a player doesn’t get along well with the coach, the latter is changed at their behest. You look at the coach before me, the way Purnima Rau was treated after doing so well with the team is beyond belief," Arothe, who coached the team from 2017-2018, told News18.com.

Arothe did not shy away from suggesting solutions to the issues at hand. He remarked that players need to be held accountable for 'unnecessary involvement', especially from some ex-cricketers, should be avoided at all costs.

" I think players should be made accountable for their’s and team’s performance. That’s how the responsibility will come in the team. And the other would be, ex-women players — who do have any business with the team or its functioning, should strictly stay away. I feel currently, that is not the case and there is an involvement of unnecessary people as well. I mean, they all mean well for the team, but it is clearly not helping," Tushar Arothe added.