Former Indian batsman and commentator Ajay Jadeja believes that an overstaffed coaching setup in cricket is restricting the captain’s role. Cricket has seen a considerable transformation in the last decade, with an expanded support staff including mentors, assistant coaches, and data analysts. While players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are often criticized, Jadeja belives that it should not be the case.
Jadeja expresses his concern, deeming it unfortunate that administrators, rather than the captain, are leading the team now. Speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival, he discussed how the plethora of coaches from a young age diminishes players’ decision-making abilities and individuality.
“I think it’s unfortunate. Because when we grew up the captain was the one who led the side and he was responsible, he was the guide, he was the one who thought how you are going to play, how you will approach the game. Unfortunately now it’s not the boys, it’s us – the administrators who are running the game at the moment,” said Jadeja,
Jadeja, who represented India in 15 Tests and 196 ODIs, highlighted the current trend of perfectionism, stating that players are not allowed to make mistakes. He emphasized the importance of individual growth in sports, expressing sadness over the loss of individuality in the pursuit of perfection. Despite acknowledging the usefulness of data analysts,
“Unfortunately now we don’t accept mistakes. We want our players to be perfect. So the same boy gets to go through all this and has five coaches all along and seven-eight years into his cricketing life he is now say captain of India, would have always been assisted by somebody. So how does he ever grow up and make decisions on his own? So you are losing out on individuality, which I feel is the saddest part of the sport.”
Jadeja stressed the need for captains to make decisions on the field for the team’s growth. Currently serving as the mentor for the Afghanistan international cricket team, Jadeja advocates for allowing captains to take charge and make decisions on a ball-to-ball basis, emphasizing the instinctive nature of the sport.
“The captain that we have is making his own decisions. I would like the captain on the field (to take the calls) because at the end of the day it is a sport, an instinctive sport. It changes ball by ball, there is no coach who will be able to communicate on a ball-to-ball basis. And if you want your team to grow, you will have to allow your captain to make the decisions, and that’s the only way to grow in the sport.”
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