{
  "id": 640105,
  "title": "Mohammed Kaif 'surprised' by BCCI's struggle to hire top medical professionals amid injury crisis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/mohammed-kaif-surprised-by-bccis-struggle-to-hire-top-medical",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-12T06:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mohammed-kaif-surprised-bccis-struggle-064500008.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) is grappling with a struggle to hire top medical professionals amid an injury crisis in Indian cricket, according to former cricketer Mohammad Kaif. Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar are among the players missing the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka due to injuries. These setbacks have left the BCCI frustrated, particularly as several players have had to visit the CoE in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. During a press conference, VVS Laxman, the CoE head, revealed that the BCCI had faced difficulties in recruiting suitable personnel for the CoE, admitting that some potential appointments had fallen through at the last minute. Kaif expressed surprise at the BCCI's inability to attract top medical experts, given the board's enormous financial resources and the allure of working with Indian cricket. He questioned why the BCCI had not been able to secure contracts with leading physiotherapists and medical experts, emphasizing that if they paid well and offered good contracts, they should have been able to retain these professionals. The timing of these concerns is significant, with India set to begin a two-Test series against Sri Lanka without several key players in Galle on August 15.",
  "summary": "India is grappling with a significant player injury crisis, forcing discussions about the effectiveness of the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. Ex-cricketer Mohammad Kaif expressed astonishment at the board's challenges in securing suitable hires. VVS Laxman added that prospective staff appointments encountered last-minute obstacles. Given the BCCI's robust financial resources, this inability to draw…",
  "key_points": [
    "BCCI struggles to hire top medical professionals.",
    "Several Indian players injured, missing Sri Lanka series.",
    "VVS Laxman admits difficulty in recruiting suitable staff."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The BCCI's struggle to hire top medical professionals despite its enormous financial resources suggests a lapse in its usual leverage to attract talent, potentially compromising player rehabilitation and availability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}