Raman writes to Ganguly, Dravid on ‘prima donna’ culture

In the mail that has been marked to National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid as well, Raman has also offered to present a roadmap for women’s cricket in the country if asked. In a surprising move, the former India Test player was not retained as the head coach of the senior women’s team by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which picked Ramesh Powar for the top job on Thursday.

Raman’s major achievements included a runner-up finish at the women’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year. “As far as I know, Raman has said that he has always ‘believed in team being placed above everybody else, and insisted that no individual can really be a prima donna’,” a source privy to Raman’s mail told PTI.

The crisp letter to the two former captains is sure to ruffle a few feathers given that it has always been the coaches who have either stepped aside or sacked following fallouts with players. While Raman’s letter didn’t name anyone, it is understood that he has spoken extensively about the star culture that prevails in the team, which he said is probably doing more harm than good.

It is learnt that Raman has written about certain individuals who need to place the team above self. He is also dismayed by allegations that he is not proactive as a coach. He recalled how he oversaw three training sessions (for Trailblazers, Velocity and Supernovas) between 1 pm and 9 pm in humid UAE conditions during the last T20 challenge.

“In case the president and secretary want to hear his opinion on allegations about his work ethic, he can explain,” added the source. The letter has been copied to Dravid because Raman believes that he can contribute towards building a roadmap for India women’s cricket.