Published>Tue, Aug 03 10 10:17 AM
Retirement seems to have brought Anil Kumble no rest. First came a coffee-table book of selected pictures clicked by him in his playing days. Then he got cracking on plans to start a spin academy with Muttiah Muralitharan. And now India's highest wicket-taker wants to take charge of players' off-field personalities.
The BCCI is ready to play - Kumble's new educational programme will be part of its curriculum for players, who will undergo a personality development programme under the former captain's guidance.
"Kumble's programme will cover several topics that will help our cricketers, from handling money to interacting with other players in the dressing room," Board vice-president Rajeev Shukla told The Indian Express.
Kumble made a presentation to BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and other top officials in Mumbai a few months ago, and the project was discussed at the Board working committee meeting last week. A final go-ahead is likely to come after Kumble makes another presentation.
It is learnt, meanwhile, that BCCI will pay Rs 2.9 lakh per player for the programme, which will be conducted by Tenwic, a division of Anil Kumble Sports Pvt. Ltd, with each session being monitored by Kumble.
Among the topics the programme will address are handling 'instant success', self-sufficiency, anti-doping advice and management of finances. The programme will also make sure that cricketers learn how to speak English, handle the media during press conferences, and conduct themselves in public.
"The BCCI doesn't want players to get carried away by what their agents tell them. We want them to be educated about their finances, and to be able to keep track of their endorsements and deals. It is important for our cricketers to enlist in this programme as they haven't been at the best behaviour lately," said a top BCCI official.
It is learnt Kumble had wanted to put all international, first-class and Indian Premier League players through the programme, but the BCCI is for now planning to draft only its contracted players.
The decision to conduct such a programme was taken after a series of ugly off-field incidents such as the infamous slapping involving S Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh during IPL I, and the alleged drunken brawl in the West Indies earlier this year.
"The BCCI is taking this step to make sure players learn to carry themselves better, on and off the field. And for that, there cannot be a better mentor than Anil Kumble," said a source.
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