Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, calling for a clearer division of responsibility in the management and treatment of injured players.
The CoE has faced increasing scrutiny over the extended absences of several Indian cricketers. The latest controversy concerns Jasprit Bumrah, whose unavailability for India’s Test series against Sri Lanka reportedly came after the national selection committee had initially been told that the pacer would be fit to play.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Indian cricket may need to reassess how players are managed across formats and emphasised the importance of identifying who is accountable when injuries occur.
“I think the time has come to make separate teams for Tests, ODIs and T20Is. There might be cross-pollination of one or two players. I think somewhere down the line there has to be accountability for injury management of players,” Ashwin said.
He pointed to Varun Chakravarthy’s prolonged stay at the National Cricket Academy and CoE as another example. Chakravarthy spent several months there while seeking permission to play in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.
“I know that Varun Chakravarthy was at the NCA for the last three to four months. We were asking for permission for the TNPL, and they didn’t release him. He should have returned in a month, but he was there for two to three months,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin also stressed that players share responsibility for their physical preparation, drawing on his experience of suffering a side strain in 2015.
“As a player, you also have to see that your training method is correct. Am I doing the right exercises? The only side strain I suffered in 2015 was due to Olympic lifting. After that, I stopped snatching,” he said.
He added: “You can certainly be faster with Olympic lifting; your power production also increases. But if you have an injury that doesn’t suit you, the player should also watch what he is doing.”
His remarks come as Indian cricket continues to debate player workload, scheduling and the systems used to prevent and manage injuries.