Anil Kumble’s timeline of events as India coach

Going by media reports, coach Kumble wanted to go ahead with Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, which Kohli did not want.

Anil Kumble appointed head coach of Indian cricket team — June 23, 2016: After interviews of several former cricketers by BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble was appointed coach of the national side for one year after end of Ravi Shastri’s tenure as Team Director. Kumble was the one to get this post out of 57 applicants.

Kumble’s take on pitches — September 12, 2016: Before Kumble’s arrival in the team as head coach, India had beaten South Africa in Test series at home by 3-0 margin on turning tracks, which led to some controversies. However, Kumble made it clear that Indian team should not worry about pitches ahead of the New Zealand series and said, “I am more concerned about what kind of cricket we play on that pitch. The Indian media certainly scrutinises the pitch more than any other media. Everybody wants to either not read anything or read too much into what happens off the first ball that is bowled. If you want to be the No. 1 team, you shouldn’t worry about pitches.”

Kumble stands with Virat Kohli’s ball tampering issue — November 24, 2016: Kumble dismissed allegations of ball tampering levelled against Test captain Virat Kohli by a British publication. British tabloid Daily Mail had produced inconclusive evidence to show that Kohli used to shine the ball with the residue of a sweet in his mouth during the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. Referring to television footage of the incident, the newspaper had claimed that Kohli put his hands deep in his mouth, and then shined one side of the ball during the second Test which was played from November 9 to 13.

Reacting to it, Kumble stated, “First of all, I don’t want to react to any reports in the media. As far as I am concerned, the umpires or the match referee never ever came to us talking about it.  It is certainly something we will not like to give much wind about. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to worry about. People can allege, they can write what they want in the media. As far I am concerned, there is nothing that our players are a part of.”

Reports on Kumble likely to be elevated to Team Director’s role — March 11, 2017: It was reported by The Indian Express that Kumble may take up the role of Team Director as early as April 14. According to the report, Kumble met the court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA), which entrusted him with the job to file a comprehensive report on the senior, A side, junior as well as women’s teams, soon after the second Test against Australia of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2016-17.

Disagreements over who should replace Kohli in 4th Test against Australia — March 11, 2017: Going by media reports, coach Kumble wanted to go ahead with Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, which Kohli did not want. Kumble’s step of taking Kuldeep in the side worked as the debutant scalped 4 important wickets and eventually India won the Test and series as well.

Kumble in trouble after he asks BCCI to let India participate in Champions Trophy — May 6, 2017: Kumble reportedly asked BCCI to let his team participate in ICC’s flagship tournament. This, for some reasons, did not go down well for him. Some of the BCCI officials believed it is not Kumble who takes a call on such matters.

“It is the institution which decides, and not one individual. Kumble writing to the Board about his decision of wanting to play in the Champions Trophy was uncalled for. He had no business in doing this,” a senior BCCI member told hindustantimes.com. “Kumble is going to be on a sticky wicket for this act once the Board members take control of BCCI. It is just a matter of time.”

BCCI seeks applications for Team India’s head coach —May 25, 2017: As Kumble’s term with the Indian cricket team was nearing end after ICC Champions Trophy 2017, the BCCI started searching candidates for the coveted post.

Kumble, Kohli not on same page on issue of pay hike — May 26, 2017: If a report in CricketNext is to be believed, Kumble and Kohli are having different opinion when it comes to the proposed pay hike for centrally contracted players. The report, quoting a senior BCCI official on conditions of anonymity, claimed Kumble had asked for an extra allowance for Kohli during his presentation. But Kohli personally had not asked for any hike yet.

“Never would Virat Kohli be on the same page on the captain getting paid extra for discharging the captain’s responsibility. In fact, I have personally had a word with him once or twice and he has always said that every player’s interest should be taken care of, but especially those who play just one format should be priority,” the report quoted the official. “Actually Kumble wants to tag a few people just to strengthen his case. But his demand that the skipper be paid extra is mind-boggling,” it further read.

Lodha Committee supports Kumble — May 28, 2017: “It’s extremely peculiar that administrators, who have to comply with the Supreme Court judgment, can disobey and continue in office while insisting that a silly little contract they have come up with has to be adhered to by coaches and cricketers. Clearly a different law applies for the lawless,” Gopal Sankaranarayanan, secretary of the Lodha Committee, told TOI.

Saying Kumble does not deserve this kind of treatment, he added, “Kumble does not deserve this kind of treatment. This isn’t the right way to treat your national coach. One year coaching tenure is a ludicrous thing to do. For a national coach, year-to-year appointment isn’t the way forward. Who will come for one year tenure? You can see that this is done deliberately by the board officials. You can’t be giving a piece meal to your national coach. The next contract should not be for a year.”

Kumble is known to be close to the Lodha committee and reportedly has good relations with the CoA. He has also been vocal about the payment issue. Praising the former leg-spinner and national captain, Sankaranarayanan further said: “Kumble has stood up for the players and pointed out that they don’t get a penny from the ICC while it all goes into unaccounted pockets. Clearly people are unhappy with that.”

Kohli’s unhappy with Kumble — May 29, 2017: Reports on rift between coach Kumble and Kohli came into the news after skipper gave feedback to BCCI ahead of Champions Trophy. As reported by ESPNCricinfo, Kumble has been conducting himself like a “headmaster” at a school. Such an approach, the official said, “had not gone down well” with the players who are used to a more relaxed dressing room. Some players – not the bigger personalities like Kohli or MS Dhoni – have felt “a bit intimidated” by Kumble’s approach.

Another report suggested that the cricketers are apparently unhappy with Kumble’s overbearing attitude. They have even complained about the same to CoA. Players are unhappy that there is no freedom in the dressing room.

Kumble, Virender Sehwag and Tom Moody apply for Team India coach position— June 1, 2017: Sehwag, Moody along with Richard Pybus, Dodda Ganesh and former India A coach Lalchand Rajput apply for Indian Cricket Team’s coach role. Kumble reapplies for the post.

Ramachandra Guha resigns from BCCI’s CoA, backs Kumble — June 2, 2017: In his resignation letter, Guha expressed his displeasure over the way Kumble was treated by writing, “The way in which the contract of Anil Kumble, the current head coach of the senior team, has been handled. The Indian team’s record this past season has been excellent; and even if the players garner the bulk of the credit, surely the head coach and his support staff also get some. In a system based on justice and merit, the head coach’s term would have been extended. Instead, Kumble was left hanging, and then told the post would be re-advertised afresh.”

Guha added further, “In case due process had to be followed since Kumble’s original appointment was only for one year, why was this not done during April and May, when the IPL was on? If indeed the captain and the Head Coach were not getting along, why was not this attended to as soon as the Australia series was over in late March? Why was it left until the last minutes, when a major international tournament was imminent, and when the uncertainty would undermine the morale and ability to focus of the coach, the captain and the team> And surely fiving senior players the impression that they may have a veto power over the coach is another example of superstar culture gone berserk? Such a veto power is not permitted to any other top level professional team in any other sport in any other country. Already, in a dismaying departure from international norms, current Indian players enjoy a veto power on who can be the members of the commentary team. If it is to be coaches next, then perhaps the selectors and even office-bearers will follow?”

Kohli denies rift with Kumble —June 3, 2017: Ahead of India’s first clash in Champions Trophy against Pakistan, in the pre-match press conference Kohli said that if people have no knowledge about the issue, they must not speculate. “There are no issues whatsoever. There has been a lot of speculation and a lot of things written by people without actually being a part of the changing room, which is very strange. There are no problems whatsoever. The team is totally focused on the Champions Trophy,” said Kohli.

CAC eager to continue with Anil Kumble — June 11, 2017: As per ESPNcricinfo, the CAC was to speak with both Kumble and skipper Virat Kohli in an attempt to resolve differences that have emerged between the pair. It was speculated that in case that fails, the trio will sit separately with Kohli to reach a deeper understanding of the reasons why he, and some players, are finding it hard to cope with his approach.

India leaves for West Indies tour without Kumble — June 20, 2017: After finishing the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as the runners up, Team India left for its next tour to West Indies. However, it was learnt that team’s Head Coach Anil Kumble did not accompany the team as it left on Tuesday. As per speculations, Kumble was likely to join them later after attending a meeting in London, presumably regarding the same, and then join the team in the Caribbean for the tour.

Kumble resigns — June 20, 2017: Later on the same day, news broke out of Kumble stepping down from the coach’s role.

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— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) June 20, 2017