"It's a rot and everybody is responsible" - former coach on Indian women's cricket

Former Indian women's cricket team coach Purnima Rau said she knew WV Raman's time as the national team's head coach were numbered as she lambasted the way women's cricket is being handled in the country. Rau, who was the women's team coach from 2014 to 2017, said that there are multiple agendas that are being given importance to which is not allowing the team to achieve success.

"I knew Raman’s days as women’s cricket coach were numbered. I also know that Ramesh Powar’s days as coach of the women’s team are numbered if people don’t take action now. It is the coaches who are axed. Nothing happens to anybody else. We coaches are made the mincemeat of the whole situation," Rau said in an interview with News18.

"It is a rot and everybody is responsible. The players, administrators, support staff, everyone. Now it has come to a stage where it is affecting the game," she said.

With less than 10 months to go for the Women's ODI World Cup in New Zealand, the BCCI replaced Raman with former Indian spinner Ramesh Powar as the coach. Rau, who was sacked few months before the 2017 ODI World Cup and replaced by Tushar Arothe, said that it is up to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and Powar to fix the rot.

"Sourav Ganguly has to go ahead and fix it. How long will this go on, I don’t know. It will take time. Ramesh Powar has taken over as the new coach, he has to fix it," Rau added.

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Following his ouster, Raman wrote a letter to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly where he advised the Board should go beyond the agendas of few players and take the team forward. Rau also felt that popular players within the team are given too much importance.

"Whoever these superstars are, the ones with a bit of success, they just build a wall around them, have agendas, there is a constant bickering within the team and the game is just out of the window. Nobody is giving reason for any kind of sacking," she said.

Rau, who played five Tests and 33 ODIs for India, also felt that the senior players in the team know when to retire and make way for youngsters.

"Senior players have achieved and contributed to the game that you leave it to them to make their decision when to quit. They know they cannot go on forever. Senior players know what can contribute and what they cannot. They know the roles themselves. We should leave it to the players. That respect we should give them. They may not have learnt to give respect to others but at least I give them respect for their longevity."