WV Raman thanks BCCI Secretary Jay Shah amid controversy surrounding his removal as coach

Former India women's team coach WV Raman has thanked BCCI Secretary Jay Shah amid controversy surrounding his removal from the post. The BCCI on Thursday announced the appointment of Ramesh Powar as the new head coach of the women's national cricket team, which sparked controversy as Raman wrote a letter to the board alleging a "smear campaign" against him. Raman, in his letter to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, wrote that it would "extremely disconcerting" if his candidature was rejected due to reasons other than 'incompetency as coach".  

However, Raman has now thanked BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for his "kind words" after his removal as coach of the Indian women's team. "Thanks @JayShah for your kind words in your communication to me.. Much appreciated.. @BCCI," Raman wrote on Twitter. 

According to reports, Raman's ouster as head coach of the Indian national women's team has been triggered due to an alleged rift with some of the top players in the side. Reports suggest that it was his problem with ODI skipper Mithali Raj that lead to his ouster. However, Raman did not mention any individual in his letter to the BCCI president but highlighted the prevailing star culture in the team. "In a coaching career spanning 20 years, I have always created a culture in which the team always comes first and insisted on no individual overriding either the game or the team," Raman wrote. 

Powar reappointed as coach

Meanwhile, Powar will be assuming the role of the head coach of the Indian team ahead of the crucial ICC Women's World Cup next year. A former coach of the Indian Women’s Team from July-November 2018, it was under him that India qualified for the semi-final of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in 2018 and also won 14 T20 matches in a row. He recently coached the Mumbai senior team that won the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has worked at the National Cricket Academy as a Bowling Coach.

IMAGE: PTI