Mohammed Kaif questions BCCI's hiring struggles amid India's injury crisis

India's growing injury crisis has raised fresh questions over the functioning of the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE), with former cricketer Mohammad Kaif expressing surprise that the world's richest cricket board has struggled to recruit some of the world's leading medical and rehabilitation professionals.

The latest setback came with Sai Sudharsan being ruled out of India's upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka due to a toe injury. He joins Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar on the list of players unavailable for the Sri Lanka series because of injuries.

The repeated injury setbacks have frustrated the BCCI, particularly as several players have had to make trips to the CoE in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. The issue also came into focus when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia travelled to Bengaluru to discuss the situation with CoE head VVS Laxman.

VVS Laxman reveals BCCI's struggle to hire CoE staff

Laxman, during a press conference, revealed that the BCCI has been facing difficulties in finding the right personnel for the CoE. According to him, the board had approached several candidates, but some potential appointments fell through at the final stage.

The revelation has now drawn a strong reaction from Kaif, who questioned how the BCCI, despite its enormous financial resources, has been unable to bring some of the best medical professionals and physiotherapists into its setup.

"There was a statement from VVS Laxman that they had approached several people. Those things were being worked out, but at the last minute, they turned it down. So, what I am trying to say is that whatever is happening needs to be fixed. I am not an expert on this. The experts appointed by the BCCI need to do their job. But I am telling you that it is having a significant impact," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Mohammad Kaif questions BCCI's inability to attract top medical experts

Kaif admitted that he was particularly surprised by the situation given the financial strength of the BCCI and the attractiveness of working with Indian cricket.

"Now, I am surprised because so many people are eager to work with the BCCI. We have so much money that if we call someone, they will come running. They do, don't they? Just look at the players. Players leave their countries' matches to come and play in the IPL. They come, don't they?" Kaif said.

He further questioned why the BCCI had not been able to finalise contracts with leading physiotherapists and medical experts.

"So, I was a little surprised that we haven't been able to work things out with some of the world's best physiotherapists and medical professionals and get them to work with the BCCI. I am surprised because we pay so much. We offer such good contracts. If someone comes and works here, they are bound to make a lot of money. They get paid very well," he added.

The timing of the concerns is significant, with India heading into a two-Test series against Sri Lanka without several key players. The series begins in Galle on August 15.