‘Not taking up the position’: Why Laxman turned down head coach job after Dravid

VVS Laxman has disclosed that he declined the opportunity to become India's head coach in 2024, opting to stay at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) and focus on his family. The BCCI had approached Laxman following Rahul Dravid's successful tenure as head coach, which culminated in India's T20 World Cup victory in 2024. Instead, Laxman chose to extend his stay at the CoE for another two years until 2026.

At a press conference at the CoE, Laxman stated that he accepted the CoE position with the understanding that he would not take up the head coach role.

Laxman, who had taken over as the head of the National Cricket Academy in 2021, aimed to establish the CoE's structure, processes, and protocols during his tenure. He emphasized the importance of laying this groundwork before moving on. Laxman's comments came as there were speculations about his potential consideration for another high-profile BCCI role, such as the chief selector position when Ajit Agarkar's term ends in September. However, he did not provide any indication of his future plans beyond his current CoE position.

In response to concerns about India's players recovering from injuries, Laxman defended the CoE's role beyond being just a rehabilitation center. He highlighted the presence of several players, including Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, and B Sai Sudharsan, who are undergoing recovery at the facility.

Laxman stressed that the CoE has a broader purpose in nurturing cricketers to achieve excellence. He acknowledged that timing of recoveries varies due to the complexity of the human body and the absence of a machine-like recovery process. Laxman also assured seamless communication between the CoE, selectors, and team management, with players only released once they meet fitness benchmarks.

Furthermore, Laxman shared his accomplishments during his tenure, including the development of young cricketers and his contributions to women's cricket. He pointed out that the value of trophies is a result of the systems and processes implemented at the CoE, ultimately aimed at strengthening Indian cricket and enabling players to reach their full potential.