Bengaluru: The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman emphasised that the state-of-the-art facility holds a far broader mandate than simply rehabilitating injured athletes, underlining the critical role of monitoring systems in both preventing and managing player injuries.

Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Laxman stated that setbacks are an unavoidable aspect of any athlete's journey and dismissed the idea of assigning fault when players get hurt.
"CoE is not a rehab centre. There's a bigger responsibility and mandate given by the BCCI," Laxman said.
"Injuries are part and parcel of any player's career. That's why the monitoring system is very critical. And we don't use the term blame; then we will be trying to find scapegoats," he added.

Leadership reviews injury management protocols

Laxman's comments follow growing scrutiny over a recent wave of player injuries. On Sunday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met with Laxman to review the facility's rehabilitation and injury-management frameworks. Saikia was joined at the press briefing by BCCI president Mithun Manhas alongside other high-ranking board officials.

Recruitment challenges for Sports Science & Medicine leadership

Addressing the vacant Head of Sports Science and Medicine (SSM) role at the CoE, Laxman revealed that the BCCI has struggled to secure the right candidate. He explained that the position demands a unique blend of industry stature, deep expertise, and a nuanced understanding of the specific needs of Indian cricketers.

"After Nitin (Patel) left, we couldn't fill his shoes. Everything was agreed upon; Andrew (Leipus) backed off citing family reasons," Laxman said during the press conference.

Laxman noted that after shortlisting five candidates, the top choice—an Australian expert—withdrew due to relocation constraints.

"We shortlisted five candidates; No. 1 was Australian, can't name him. He suddenly backed out, saying he can't move to Bengaluru. It's not a consultant role. You want the person to be there. It's day-to-day monitoring," Laxman said.

He further mentioned another international approach that fell through, leaving department leaders to absorb the responsibilities in the interim.

"Another professional, head of All Blacks... he agreed and backed out. To fill in that position, not just stature and experience, but understanding of Indian cricketers is important. With the Head of SSM position not filling, the vertical heads have stepped up," he said.

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High-profile players undergoing rehab

The discussions surrounding the CoE's programs come as several key Indian international players undergo treatment at the facility. Key Test stars—including Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy—are currently sidelined and ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, set to begin on August 15.

Additionally, white-ball specialists such as Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, and Prince Yadav are working through their respective rehabilitation programs at the Bengaluru center.

India currently holds fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 standings, recording four victories and four defeats across nine matches for a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150. (ANI)