The BCCI is reportedly planning a much bigger role for former India batter VVS Laxman. Currently the head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), Laxman could soon take over as the BCCI Director of Cricket, a new position that would significantly increase his influence over Indian cricket.
While an official announcement and detailed job description are still awaited, reports suggest that the proposed role would connect different parts of India’s cricket structure under one person.
This naturally brings up two big questions: Why does the BCCI need a Director of Cricket, and how much power could VVS Laxman have?
Why Does BCCI Need a Director of Cricket?
Indian cricket currently has different centres of cricketing authority. The national head coach manages the team and its preparation, while the selection committee has its own responsibility for picking squads.
The Centre of Excellence looks after player development, fitness programmes and pathways, while the BCCI administration oversees the broader system.
The problem comes when these different departments are not on the same page.
During Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, there have been questions around team combinations, player management and India’s performances in Test cricket. At the same time, the future of senior players, particularly with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, has remained an important subject.
Instead of the BCCI’s top office-bearers becoming involved every time different cricketing departments have different views, a Director of Cricket could provide one central point of coordination.
If Laxman’s appointment goes through as reported, he could connect the national coaches, selectors, CoE, support staff and India’s junior pathway.
Here are five major powers and responsibilities that could come with the role.
1. VVS Laxman Could Sit Above the Head Coach and Chief Selector
This is perhaps the biggest change.
Reports suggest that the Director of Cricket position could virtually place VVS Laxman above both the national head coach and the chairman of the senior selection committee in the cricketing hierarchy.
At present, Gautam Gambhir and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar have different areas of responsibility. A head coach cannot simply take over the powers of the selectors, while selectors do not run the coaching setup.
Under the proposed structure, the Director of Cricket could sit above both of them. He could have a say in the decisions made by the selectors and the head coach, while both could also be required to report to the Director of Cricket about their functioning.
This would give the Director of Cricket a much broader view of how the national team is being managed and allow him to coordinate between two of the most important departments in Indian cricket.
2. Coaches, Selectors and Player Pathways Could Come Under One Structure
The second major responsibility could be coordination across different levels of Indian cricket.
The role is expected to connect the senior national setup with the Centre of Excellence and India’s development pathway. That is important because Laxman is already closely involved with young players and India A-level talent through his work at the CoE.
Under a more structured Director of Cricket system, the senior coaching setup, selectors and people working at different stages of player development could have greater accountability.
For example, there could be discussions around why a particular player is being backed, why another player performing well in domestic cricket is outside the national scheme, or what areas a young player needs to improve before being considered for India.
This could reduce the gap between domestic cricket, India A, the CoE and the senior Indian team.
Instead of these departments working separately, the Director of Cricket could help create one clear pathway.
3. Major Say in Coaching and Support Staff Appointments
Another important area could be the appointment and evaluation of coaching and support staff.
Traditionally, an incoming head coach has considerable influence over the support staff he wants around the national team. Under the proposed structure, the Director of Cricket could have the authority to decide what kind of coaching and support staff should work with the head coach.
That could also mean reviewing how the coaching staff is performing.
If the batting, bowling, fielding, strength and conditioning or any other specialist department is not producing the expected results, the Director of Cricket could be involved in deciding what changes are required.
Reports have indicated that staff appointments could form part of Laxman’s expanded responsibilities.
If that is the case, it would make the position much more than an advisory role. It could give the Director of Cricket significant influence over the people responsible for preparing India’s players at different levels.
4. Preparing India’s Blueprint for Major ICC Events
This could be one of the most important responsibilities of the VVS Laxman BCCI Director of Cricket role.
India have the 2027 ODI World Cup ahead, and planning for such a tournament cannot begin just a few months before the event.
The team needs to know which players form the core group, which youngsters are being prepared as backups, how workloads will be managed and what type of squad India want for the conditions in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
This is where a Director of Cricket could become extremely important.
Instead of selectors planning one series at a time and the coaching staff looking mainly at immediate results, Laxman could help create a broader blueprint for major ICC events.
That plan could cover the core group, backups, India A pathway, fitness, workload management and the roles expected from individual players.
This approach would not be limited to the 2027 ODI World Cup. The Director of Cricket could help create long-term plans for other major ICC tournaments as well.
5. Managing Senior Players and India’s Transition
In recent times, one of the biggest debates in Indian cricket has been around the role of senior players and what their future in the team will look like.
Will they be part of upcoming ICC events? Will they be judged mainly on age, or will their performances and fitness remain the most important factors?
This is where the Director of Cricket could have an important role. He could oversee how India’s transition is managed and how senior players are handled during the final stages of their international careers.
There have been questions around the way Rohit Sharma’s situation has been handled by the selectors and the coaching setup. A Director of Cricket could provide another senior cricketing voice in such situations and help ensure that there is clarity between the player, selectors and coaching staff.
If Laxman becomes Director of Cricket with the powers being reported, he could also have a major say in deciding whether senior players remain part of India’s plans for marquee ICC events.
That could make him an important figure in discussions around whether players such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain in India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
However, the exact extent of his authority in selection matters will only become clear once the BCCI officially defines the powers of the position.
Why VVS Laxman Fits the Role
There is also a reason why the BCCI appears to be considering Laxman for such a position.
He already heads the Centre of Excellence and understands India’s development system. He has worked closely with young players, India pathway teams and senior cricketers undergoing fitness and development programmes.
Laxman has also stepped in as India’s coach on different occasions when the regular coaching staff was unavailable.
So, he understands both sides of the system — developing players away from the senior team and managing players at international level.
The Director of Cricket role would bring those areas together.
