Indian women’s T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur defends Ramesh Powar and requested to bring back him for the coaching role. Kaur also claimed that the decision to drop Mithali Raj from the playing XI for the 2018 ICC WWT20 semi-final was unanimous.
On 14 August 2018, Ramesh Powar has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian women’s cricket team. He had a contract till 30 November 2018, till the end of the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies. Under his very short-term, Indian women’s cricket team showed some improving performances on the field, including their dominating group stage performances during the recent ICC WWT20.
However, everything has been changed since the national team lost the semi-final of 2018 ICC WWT20 against England women. While the whole nation was shocked on Mithali Raj’s exclusion from the playing XI for the semi-final encounter, Raj wrote a letter to the BCCI demanding justice. In that letter, she lashed out on the head coach Ramesh Powar and Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji for being biased towards her.
On the other hand, Powar revealed that he was saddened by Raj’s attitude who threatened to announce retirement. Later, Powar didn’t get a new offer for his contract extension while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has just started to find the new head coach.
Also read: Madan Lal Fumes Over Ramesh Powar’s Exclusion
Recently, the T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur wrote an email to BCCI where she defended Powar and requested to bring back him for the head coach role to make a strong future for the nation. Kaur also added that Mithali Raj’s exclusion was totally unanimous decision on the based on the cricketing logic and observations from the past.
According to Hindustan Times, Kaur wrote on her email, “I am writing to bring it under your notice that how tremendously our team has gone under positive changes in the past few months and has set a benchmark in the world’s top teams. Our defeat in the semi-finals was very disheartening and it brings us all to feel more miserable to see how the controversies has stained our image and questioned the entire cricket fraternity.
“(sic) Ramesh Powar not only improved us as players but did motivate us to set targets and challenge our own limits. He has changed the faced (sic) of Indian women’s cricket team both technically and strategically. He has inculcated in us the sense of winning.
“The decision was entirely based on the cricketing logics and observations from the past. Keeping in mind the need of the hour, me, Smriti, selector Sudha Shah and the coach together in the presence of our manager felt that we should go ahead with the winning combination.
“Cutting the conversation short, I, as the T20 captain and ODI vice-captain is appealing before you to allow Powar to further continue as our team coach. There are hardly 15 months for the next T20 World Cup and a month to go for the New Zealand tour. The way he has transformed us as a team, I feel no reason to replace him.”
On the other hand, the Indian women’s T20I vice-captain Smriti Mandhana also wrote a mail to BCCI on this matter where she made the same impression as Kaur made.
According to Hindustan Times, Mandhana wrote, “All the meetings that were held with respect to the playing XI for all the matches came to a unanimous decision which was taken by captain, vice-captain, coach and selector in the presence of our team manager (Trupti Bhattacharya). Since the introduction of Powar, he along with the support staff has boosted our confidence as a team which has helped us win 14 consecutive T20 matches. He changed the intent of the players and gave everyone confidence.
“It is important for Indian cricket’s growth that everybody is on the same page and I believe that any difference can be amicably resolved via discussion.”
