BENGALURU: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not appointed a replacement for the Head of Sports Science & Medicine at its Centre of Excellence (CoE) despite the post being vacant for about 18 months, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Vacancy persists after several near-misses
CoE head VVS Laxman and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board has interviewed a number of candidates but been unable to secure anyone willing to take on the full‑time, day‑to‑day role. The vacancy follows the departure of Nitin Patel, who left the position roughly a year and a half ago.
Laxman described a sequence of withdrawals by senior candidates. He said former India physiotherapist Andrew Leipus, who currently serves as the sports science lead for the Punjab Kings in the IPL, had reached agreement but pulled out at the last moment for family reasons. Laxman added that an unnamed Australian, who had been shortlisted after interviews, also declined because he could not relocate to Bengaluru. He further said the CoE approached the head of sports science from New Zealand’s All Blacks, who too almost agreed but withdrew subsequently.
“After Nitin left, we did not get anyone who could fill in that position. We had Andrew Leipus; everything was agreed upon... but Andrew backed off at the last moment, citing family reasons,” Laxman said.
Interim arrangements and internal cover-up
In the absence of a permanent head, the CoE has relied on an interim distribution of duties among its existing sports science and sports medicine staff. Laxman named Dhananjay Kaushik as handling Patel’s responsibilities on an interim basis. He also credited staff members including AI Harrsha, S Rajinikanth and others for stepping up to meet day‑to‑day demands.
According to Laxman, a panel comprising him, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Dr Ashish Soni and Dr Rohan Khavte had shortlisted five candidates during a formal process. Yet the requirement that the role be full‑time and based in Bengaluru — with continuous monitoring of players rather than periodic consultancy — proved a decisive constraint for those approached.
Why the post matters
The CoE role is intended to provide continuous oversight of players’ conditioning, rehabilitation and injury prevention protocols at the national level. Laxman linked the difficulty in recruiting to a need for not only stature but also an understanding of Indian cricketers’ specific demands and contexts.
- Full‑time campus presence: The CoE requires daily, hands‑on involvement rather than part‑time consultancy.
- Relocation to Bengaluru: Several candidates declined because they could not move to the city.
- Understanding of Indian cricket: Officials emphasised the need for someone familiar with the domestic and international workload faced by Indian players.
| Candidate/Status | Reason for non‑appointment |
|---|---|
| Andrew Leipus | Withdrew at last moment citing family reasons |
| Unnamed Australian | Could not relocate to Bengaluru |
| Head of All Blacks’ sports science (unnamed) | Almost agreed, then backed out |
The gap has operational consequences at a time when several Indian players have been coping with injuries, Laxman acknowledged. He said the internal team has managed responsibilities in the interim but implied that a permanent, dedicated head is essential for sustained, structured oversight.
Officials stressed that the CoE will continue its search and screening process, though they did not provide a timeline for a fresh appointment. For now, the CoE relies on interim redistribution of duties and its existing sports medicine and sports science staff to maintain support for national cricketers.
The developments underline wider challenges in recruiting high‑calibre sports science professionals willing to commit to full‑time roles in specific locations — a factor that national federations and boards must consider when designing job terms and relocation support.
