The Indian cricket team needs a plumber to avoid dressing room leaks

By K.R. Nayar

The Indian cricket team’s support staff consists of various coaches, a trainer, a physiotherapist, computer analysts, and sometimes even a psychologist. Following Team India’s dressing room leaks during the Australian tour, it is high time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considers hiring a plumber to stop the leak. The ideal candidate should be deaf to avoid being shocked by the so-called "shocking revelations" from the dressing room, as journalists often describe them.

 

Gautam Gambhir 

During the Australian tour, there was a significant leak from the dressing room. No one is certain who was responsible. Reports suggest that coach Gautam Gambhir suspects young batter Sarfaraz Khan of leaking information to the media.

 

Sarfaraz Khan

Leaks from the Indian dressing room are not new. When Sourav Ganguly was captain, the leaks primarily reached newspapers in Kolkata. Similarly, when there was a fallout between Ganguly and coach Greg Chappell, the leak was at its peak. One cannot blame anyone for the leaks because today a journalist’s skills is measured on the leaks be manages to gather. Television journalists can even lose their job if they haven’t been able to initiate any leaks and give them some breaking news. 

 

Sourav Ganguly

Currently, television debates and discussions are focused on how these leaks happened in Australia. At a time when even Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan’s supposedly fool-proof house was breached, one must accept that nothing is truly impossible. This situation arises because journalists who prioritize quality cricket reporting are no longer as valued as those who deliver inside scoops.

 

Greg Chappell

The era of journalists adhering to strict ethical standards has also ended. Differences of opinion among players and disagreements between captains and coaches are natural occurrences in a dressing room. While journalists may sometimes learn about these incidents due to their rapport with players, responsible reporting meant such matters were not sensationalized. This is one reason why former cricketers and journalists shared a more amicable relationship in the past.

Personally, when S.K. Nair was the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, I believed it was important not to misuse my close association with him for breaking stories. Prior to taking up journalism, I had served as the joint secretary of the Trivandrum District Cricket Association, while he was the secretary. 

 

Rahul Dravid 

Since a leak refers to the unauthorized release of confidential information, there is always a big demand for leaks. One of the reasons is that  negative news attracts more attention than positive stories. Therefore, it is crucial for a team to maintain a positive environment in the dressing room to prevent such leaks.

 

Ravi Shastri 

After reports surfaced about Gambhir accusing Sarfaraz Khan of leaking information, one cannot help but wonder why similar accusations never arose during the tenures of former coaches like Ravi Shastri or Rahul Dravid. Neither of them publicly blamed any player for wrongdoing. They understood the importance of man-management. 

 

Dressing room leaks often stem from poor team management, leading to internal conflicts. A plumber can only fix a leak if the underlying issues causing it are addressed. The same logic applies to the Indian cricket team. Understanding why leaks have surfaced now, unlike during Shastri and Dravid’s tenure, is the key to resolving this issue.