New Delhi, April 17 - Indian cricket team's assistant coach Abhishek Nair has been sacked amid speculations of a rift with a high-profile member of the support staff. However, Test defeats against New Zealand and Australia are being cited as the reason for his dismissal. If board sources are to be believed, Nair has already been informed about the BCCI's decision. Nair has worked in the post for only eight months.
"India's recent Test defeats (against New Zealand and Australia) have been blamed for this dismissal, but there is also a feeling in the BCCI that Nair has become a scapegoat in an on-field feud between a particular member of the support staff and a senior star player," a BCCI source told PTI. Fielding coach T Dilip and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai are also leaving after completing more than three years in their respective positions. The BCCI's new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has limited the tenure of the support staff to three years. It is learnt that India's first strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux is likely to return for a second stint. When contacted by PTI, BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia dodged the question, saying, "Some things are being finalised, you will get a press note from the BCCI in a few days." Meanwhile, 41-year-old Nair did not respond to a text message sent by PTI.