'Roger Binny and VVS Laxman will speak to Harmanpreet Kaur': Jay Shah on Indian captain's outburst

Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) president Stuart Binny and National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman will be speaking to the Indian woman’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur regarding her flare-up during the last match of the ODI series against Bangladesh.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Thursday informed the media that Binny and Laxman will talk to Kaur, according to a News18 report.

“We will have our President Roger Binny and VVS Laxman speak to her (regarding the outburst),” the report quoted Shah as saying.

Read: Harmanpreet Kaur slams ‘pathetic umpiring’ after third ODI ends in tie

The outburst has cost the Indian skipper dearly. The ICC has banned her for two matches and BCCI didn’t appeal in time to contest it, which means she will now have to miss the first two matches of the Asian Games slated to take place in September-October.

“The ICC has already banned her and the time to appeal against the decision has already passed,” Shah told reporters.

Kaur has attracted a lot of ire from veterans, experts and fans for her unrestrained eruption of anger during and after the match. In the 34th over of the second innings, after she was adjudged LBW out, she smashed the wickets with the bat and made angry gestures while pointing her bat at the umpire as she bitterly walked out of the field. And then she took the heat to the post-match ceremony and even indulged in misbehaviour with the Bangladeshi captain.

ICC found her guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel for “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”. She has been charged with a level 2 offence and has been fined 50 per cent of the match fee with three demerit points added to her disciplinary record.

Former India cricket Madan Lal came down heavily on Kaur accusing her of earning a ‘bad name’ for Indian cricket.

“Harmanpreet’s behaviour against the Bangladesh women’s team was pathetic. She is not bigger than the game. She got a very bad name for Indian cricket. BCCI should take very strict disciplinary action,” Lal tweeted.

Harmanpreet’s behaviour against the Bangladesh women’s team was pathetic. She is not bigger than the game. She got a very bad name for Indian cricket. BCCI should take very strict disciplinary action.

— Madan Lal (@MadanLal1983) July 23, 2023

More wait for a coach

The women’s national team has been without a head coach for over six months now and has played a T20 World Cup in the interim as well: the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup held in February this year.

The last head coach Ramesh Powar left last December after he was posted to the NCA.

It now seems the team will have to wait for more before they get a head coach.

“CAC have already done one round of interviews and they feel there is need of fielding and bowling coach. So that process will happen before the announcement is made,” Shah said.

Reportedly Amol Muzumdar is a front-runner to be part of the backroom set-up in some capacity. There hasn’t been any official word so far on this though.