A gaping hole in the structural functioning is the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) headless sports science and medicine department. It has been nearly eight months since former head Nitin Patel moved on and over three months since an advertisement was put out inviting prospective applicants. No suitable candidate has been found yet, it is learnt.

BCCI has had enough time to fill the vacancy. Patel was requested to stay on for three months after his contract ended at the end of last year. Two months of Indian Premier League (IPL) followed. After no direct hiring was possible, an advert was sent out. In the interim, the plush Centre of Excellence facility became fully functional in Bengaluru, replacing the old National Cricket Academy. However, there is no one to take a lead in overseeing the injured contracted players’ rehab programs.

India were forced to play the Test series against South Africa without Shubman Gill after the young captain was ruled out due to his neck injury during the Kolkata Test. Rishabh Pant’s foot fracture had to be tended to after the injury in England. Pacer Mohammed Shami’s injury and rehab status has constantly been a point of contention between the selectors and the player.

“It’s among the most critical positions, as important as that of the head coach or the chief selector,” a BCCI insider said. “The delay is not helping matters. Currently, doctors assess injuries and two physios, Dhananjay Kaushik and Thulasi Ram Yuvraj, provide rehab timelines to players. The absence of a higher authority impacts accountability.”

When Jasprit Bumrah returned from his back troubles and was advised to play only three of the five Tests in England by the surgeon who operated on him, that opinion prevailed in the absence of a sports science head.

While Gill’s recovery in time for the T20Is against South Africa starting December 9 remains a wait-and-watch, no one saw the merit in the captain travelling from Kolkata to Guwahati for the second Test while his chances of immediate recovery were negligible.

“The appointment process is on and candidates have been shortlisted,” a BCCI official told HT.

But the delay of appointment is glaring, with the BCCI’s talks with their past sports science experts like Andrew Leipus and Andrew Kokinos known to have failed. Leipus has chosen to stay with IPL franchise Punjab Kings.

“Reviewing the contractual arrangements with centrally contracted players and promoting physical preparation to minimize the risk of injury” are among the key responsibilities charted out for the sports science head. With players’ all-format workload demanding constant care and monitoring, Indian cricket can no longer afford a delay.