And the award for worst performance goes to…

According to the team manager in the West Indies, Sanjay Jagdale, the 15 members of the Indian team were trying to board the earliest flight out of the Caribbean (Monday evening) but would not confirm whether they will be arriving in India together or not.

In the backdrop of India’s early ouster from the tournament, there had been an outrage throughout the country and most players inevitably feel that it would be sensible to remain away from the public ire for a few more days.

Therefore, as the official puts it, “no decision is likely to be taken until the dust settles.”

BCCI president Sharad Pawar told the media on Monday that the board would seek meetings with former captains and cricketers for their view and come to the best blueprint possible.

If indications are to go by, the board is in no mood to take this humiliation lightly. Whether or not Greg Chappell’s contract will be renewed, if Rahul Dravid will be allowed to continue with the captaincy is certain to invoke a few debates over the coming week. The working committee of the BCCI is scheduled to meet in Mumbai on April 6-7 and the two-day meeting could see a host of decisions being taken.

As for now, views are split over whether to continue with the coach-captain combination or bring in a change. There are those in the BCCI who believe that Chappell and his coaching over the last two years is not responsible for India’s pathetic performance. “He had a vision and if the players couldn’t lift themselves up to the occasion, why blame him?” is one line of reasoning likely to be pursued. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the time has certainly come for a change, at least a break from the two-year routine that has miserably failed.

“That is the reason why there is the talk of an interim coach. The board will need time to sit down and decide on a few things and this might take time. In that scenario, we need somebody at the helm for the tour of Bangladesh (after the World Cup ends),” says the official.

The deliberation on the coach and captain aside, as Pawar hinted the other day, the board is also looking ahead to some major chop and change in the team. And players who have failed to perform over the past few months are certain to face the music.

“That will be the most important thing on hand. More than arguing whether the coach should stay or not, first the non-performers will have to go,” says the official without spelling out the names.

Besides, decisions could also make a difference to the contracts that the board is expected to give to the players. “Can’t say how this is going to work, the next working committee meeting is likely to discuss a lot of things, but eventually there’ll be decisions taken,” he says.

If the board finally decides to have an interim coach, it is only logical that it’ll have to be an Indian. While certain names have already started doing the rounds — like former India player and ex-Kenya and India ‘A’ coach Sandeep Patil — the board hasn’t decided on any specific name as yet.