WV Raman appointed India women's team coach

Former Indian opener WV Raman has been appointed as the coach of the Indian women's team, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday (20).

The 53-year-old Raman will be the fourth coach of the women’s team in 20 months. Welcoming his appointment, Raman tweeted: “Thanks you all folks, for the wishes and your kind words. Means a lot.”

Interestingly, former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten was a top choice, but the BCCI said he was ineligible due to conflict of interest.

Kirsten is the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Raman will replace Ramesh Powar, whose stint ended last month after cricketer Mithali Raj accused him of bias and trying to destroy her career.

Raj, in a letter to the BCCI, also said she was hurt and baffled when she was left out of the Indian team for the World T20 semi-final.

".... I would also like to point out that I have nothing against the T/20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur except for the fact that her call to support the decision of the coach to leave me out of the eleven was baffling and hurtful. I wanted to win the world cup for my country and it hurts me because we lost a golden opportunity."

She also said she understood the risk she took by writing the letter.

"May I say that I am aware that by writing this email I am making myself even more vulnerable. she is a COA member while I am just a player. For the record, I scored back to back fifties in the games before the semi final, was adjudged player of the match on both occasions, to leave me out in the semi final and go with only three performing batters was a decision that left me baffled as much as it left the whole world."

Powar, in turn, accused Raj of trying to blackmail officials.

“I hope Mithali Raj stops blackmailing, pressurising coaches and also stops putting her interest first than team’s. I hope she will look at the bigger picture & work towards betterment of the Indian women’s cricket,” he wrote in a report addressed to the BCCI.