‘CoE cannot be only for contracted players’: VVS Laxman on India’s cricket pipeline
Synopsis: Sicily, Madrid, France and Berlin have all left their mark on chess vocabulary. The Sicilian Defence dates back to Giulio Cesare Polerio, while Ruy López gave the Spanish Opening one of its first systematic analyses. The French Defence emerged from a 1834 correspondence match between Paris and London. Berlin Defence, meanwhile, was revived by Vladimir Kramnik in his 2000 world…
Bengaluru: Former Indian cricket star VVS Laxman has reflected on his tenure as the head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in an exclusive interview with TOI. Laxman gave up a lucrative IPL contract and a successful commentary career to take on the role at the state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru.
From the modest beginnings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium nearly two years ago, the CoE has grown into a comprehensive institution, with Laxman acknowledging the vision of former BCCI secretary and current ICC chairman Jay Shah. He also praised the leadership for giving him the trust and freedom to develop the vision for the centre.
Laxman highlighted that the biggest change at the CoE is not only the infrastructure but also the ecosystem built around it, bringing together coaching, sports science, technology, and education. While contracted players benefit from the facility, Laxman emphasized that the CoE should not be only for them. He stated that the BCCI wants to strengthen the pathway beneath the international level as well, thus giving domestic and pathway players greater access to quality coaching, sports science, performance analysis, and technology.
An encouraging trend that Laxman noted is active players taking an interest in coaching and undergoing coaching courses. He attributes this trend to the desire to give back to the game, but also acknowledged the need for coach education to help former players transition effectively from playing to coaching roles.
Laxman also touched upon the women's coaching system at the CoE, mentioning that it has been an exciting process given the growth of women's cricket in India. He explained that they are working on a more structured system around women's cricket, investing in developing coaches and support staff, and recognizing the specific needs of women's cricket.
Reflecting on the satisfaction derived from watching youngsters bloom at the CoE, particularly the U-19 players, Laxman stated that seeing a young player develop not just as a cricketer but also as a person is incredibly rewarding. He emphasized that coaching is about helping players discover their potential, covering aspects such as skill, mental strength, physicality, and the ability to handle pressure.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
