IND v WI 2018: NCA rehab under scrutiny as Shardul Thakur breaks down after ten deliveries in Hyderabad Test

Thakur has received a fitness certificate from NCA, stating that he has recovered from a groin strain sustained during the Asia Cup in Dubai last month.

Shardul Thakur left the field early in the first morning with a groin strain | AFP

The National Cricket Academy's rehabilitation programme once again came under the scanner as pacer Shardul Thakur broke down after just 10 deliveries on Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies in Hyderabad.

It is worth mentioning here that Thakur has received a fitness certificate from NCA, stating that he has recovered from a groin strain sustained during the Asia Cup in Dubai last month.

After bowling the fourth delivery of the fourth over, Shardul was seen in considerable discomfort as he started hobbling. Once physio Patrick Farhart came inside the ground, the pacer was seen showing what looked like a groin strain.

"Shardul Thakur has gone for scans. He will not take the field today. An update on his participation for the rest of the Test will be taken after looking at the scans and after being assessed by the team management," read the official statement from BCCI.

During the Asia Cup clash against Hong Kong on September 18, Thakur had picked up a groin injury. However, 10 days later, he was back in action during a Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Mumbai and no questions were raised about his fitness and how he got the clearance from NCA.

"Groin injury is a fitness related injury and not an on-field one. My question is how did Shardul get a fitness certificate within 10 days of complaining groin soreness and then it recurs within another fortnight. Strange," a BCCI official, privy to NCA's mode of functioning, quoted as saying by PTI.

The veteran official also expressed his concerns about NCA's senior staff's role in this injury conundrum.

"COO Tufan Ghosh and Ashish Kaushik, who looks after the rehab of these contracted India players should answer. What sort of a clearance did he get? We hear big things about workload management but a bowler short throws other bowlers workload into a tizzy. If I am not wrong, one of the senior office bearers (treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry) wrote about NCA's functioning to the COA but there wasn't any reply. So this NCA mess lands at COA's doorstep," the veteran official added.

(With PTI inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 13 Oct, 2018

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