VVS Laxman Defends BCCI CoE Amidst Growing Injury Concerns: ‘Not A Rehab Centre’

VVS Laxman clarifies BCCI’s Centre of Excellence role, not just rehab. Focus on player excellence amid injury scrutiny.

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VVS Laxman defends BCCI CoE amid injury concerns.

Laxman states CoE is not just a rehab center.

BCCI secretary to review CoE’s injury management.

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Batters, bowlers and fringe players are all in the CoE.

(BCCI, PTI)

Former Indian cricketer and in-charge at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, VVS Laxman, has said that the institution is not just a rehabilitation centre and it has a bigger role in pushing cricketers towards achieving excellence, as the COE receives immense flak for Indian players getting injured often.

The CoE has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks after a spate of injuries to Indian players raised concerns over rehab timelines, fitness assessments and communication between the sports science team and the national selection committee.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Laxman, however, stressed that the CoE shouldn’t be viewed just as a rehab centre, emphasising that its role extends to helping cricketers achieve excellence.

“CoE isn’t just a rehab centre. There are bigger roles to play for it in helping players achieve excellence. Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s career. That is why a monitoring system is very critical,” Laxman said.

“And we don’t use the term ‘blame’; then we will be trying to find scapegoats,” Laxman added.

The comments come amidst growing scrutiny of the CoE’s role in India’s injury-management programme. Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are among the players undergoing rehab at the facility, with India all set to start a crucial Test series against Sri Lanka on Saturday, August 15.

Bumrah’s absence is a major blow, with India needing a strong result in the series to stay in contention in the World Test Championship cycle. Rana’s situation has further heightened concerns over the team’s injury-management process.

The pacer returned after spending almost four months on the sidelines, just to suffer another hamstring injury within two weeks of his comeback. With concerns growing over the number of injured players, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia is expected to meet Laxman at the CoE to review the rehab and injury-management programme.

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Original source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/