The morning after the World Cup final at The Wanderers, Adrian Le Roux, the Indian team's physical trainer, was clueless about his future with the Indian team. The 31-year-old South African said since his contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India is over he would be going home to Bloemfontein.
The story is much the same for physio Andrew Leipus, who also is unsure about an extension with the team. An official word was promised but it never came.
Same for coach John Wright, who had indicated that he would like to continue.
All this for a bunch of professional individuals, who managed to transform the Indian team into one of the most injury free units -- if not the fittest -- at the World Cup.
With BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya in South Africa during the fag end of the tournament, the lack of communication reeked off the unprofessional manner in which the Indian board operates. Not to mention the salary slips which still lie pending. But, then, that habit is as old as the BCCI's inception itself.
A member of the Indian team mentioned that John Wright, Andrew Leipus and Adrian Le Roux had suffered a rather insecure tenure, being put under the magnifying glass repeatedly after England's tour of India in 2002, before their contracts were extended till the World Cup.
Wright is currently in New Zealand beside his ailing father, unsure whether he will get another term with the Indian team.
The players too are uncertain about what the future holds for them vis-a-vis the team's support staff, each of whom they singled out for praise.
Some senior members of the side said they would stand up and fight for Wright if he is replaced.
According to Board of Control for Cricket in India sources in Kolkata, Wright's contract may be extended till April 20. An ad-hoc extension of contracts may also be offered to Leipus and Le Roux.
The BCCI wants to offer the ad-hoc extension to cover the tri-nation tournament, beginning in Dhaka on April 11.
John Wright's record as India coach:
ODIs
YEAR | VENUE | MATCHES | WON | LOST | NO RESULT |
2000 | Home | 5 | 4 | 1 | -- |
2001 | Home | 5 | 2 | 3 | -- |
2001 | Away | 19 | 10 | 9 | -- |
2002 | Home | 18 | 9 | 9 | -- |
2002 | Away | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
2003 | Away | 11 | 7 | 4 | -- |
TOTAL | 75 | 42 | 30 | 3 |
Tests
YEAR | VENUE | MATCHES | WON | LOST | NO RESULT |
2000 | Home | 2 | 1 | -- | 1 |
2001 | Home | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
2001 | Away | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
2002 | Home | 5 | 4 | -- | 1 |
2002 | Away | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
TOTAL | 31 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
Record of Indian coaches for Tests: Home and Away
Coaches | From | To | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn |
Bishen Bedi (Abroad) | 02-02-1990 | 28-08-1990 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Abbas Ali Baig (Abroad) | 27-11-1991 | 05-02-1992 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Ajit Wadekar (Home) | 29-01-1993 | 12-11-1995 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 |
Wadekar (Abroad) | 18-10-1992 | 23-03-1994 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Sandeep Patil (Abroad) | 06-06-1996 | 09-07-1996 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Madan Lal (Home) | 10-10-1996 | 12-12-1996 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Madan Lal (Abroad) | 26-12-1996 | 13-08-1997 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
A D Gaekwad (Home) | 19-11-1997 | 28-02-1999 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
A D Gaekwad (Abroad) | 07-10-1998 | 13-11-2000 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Kapil Dev (Home) | 10-10-1999 | 06-03-2000 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Kapil Dev (Abroad) | 10-12-1999 | 04-01-2000 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Record of Indian coaches for ODIs: Home and Away
Coaches | From | To | Matches | Won | Lost | No Result | Tie | |
Bedi | 01-03-1990 | 20-07-1990 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Abroad |
Ashok Mankad | 18-10-1991 | 25-10-1991 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Abroad |
Baig | 10-11-1991 | 14-11-1991 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Home |
06-12-1991 | 15-03-1992 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 1 | Abroad | |
Wadekar | 18-01-1993 | 13-03-1996 | 40 | 27 | 12 | 0 | 1 | Home |
25-10-1992 | 14-04-1995 | 28 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 | Abroad | |
Sunil Gavaskar | 19-04-1994 | 22-04-1994 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Abroad |
Patil | 03-04-1996 | 23-09-1996 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | Abroad |
Madan Lal | 17-10-1996 | 21-05-1997 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Home |
23-01-1997 | 02-10-1997 | 30 | 8 | 17 | 4 | 1 | Abroad | |
Gaekwad | 22-12-1997 | 04-04-1999 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Home |
11-12-1997 | 29-10-2000 | 75 | 37 | 34 | 4 | 0 | Abroad | |
Kapil Dev | 05-11-1999 | 19-03-2000 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Home |
10-01-2000 | 03-06-2000 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Abroad |