Injured players should prove form in domestic circuit to earn national call-up, says Anil Kumble

“When you are injured, the important thing for a coach is not to look at them to come back quickly, because that’s not going to help that particular individual,” Kumble told The Hindu.

The national team coach said that he had recommended the injured players to play a game of domestic cricket so that they get acclimatized to match pressure.

“It’s important that they are 100 per cent fit and probably find that out in a domestic game. That’s the kind of protocols we have set. We would like them to play under pressure in a domestic match unless there is an emergency or case to case think to look at. It’s difficult, but getting injured is part and parcel of one’s international career,” he added.

The Indian team has faced a glut of injuries in the past month to the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, KL Rahul, which resulted in all of them being sidelined for the Test series against England. Speaking about the situation, Kumble said, “It’s unfortunate that K.L. Rahul who has performed brilliantly in all three formats is missing out, we are hoping that he will come back soon. So with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan and as I said, a big blow for Rohit, the timing of the injuries have not been ideal for him.” 

“Communication is very important when winning and losing and also with the injured players. So I know exactly what goes through in a player’s mind. We all want the team to do well and the player who has replaced also to do well. But it’s important that we keep all of them in the loop,” the former leg-spinner said.