India cricket trainer Nick Webb to exit after T20 World Cup

INDIAN men’s cricket team’s strength and conditioning coach Nick Webb has decided to step down from his position after the T20 World Cup starting this month as he is no longer keen on being on the road for most part of a year.

The New Zealander joined the Indian team in September 2019 after Shanker Basu’s stint concluded after the ICC World Cup that year. He has now decided to move on since it has become challenging for him to stay away from his family for too long in the post Covid-19 world.

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“In saying this, I have recently informed the BCCI that I will not be seeking an extension of my contract following the t20worldcup,” Webb wrote on his Instagram page with details of his reason to quit the high-profile job after two years.

Webb said he has prioritised his family after New Zealand put in place stringent health protocols for its citizens waiting to enter the country.

“This has not been an easy decision but ultimately I must put my family first. The current COVID restrictions for New Zealand citizens wanting to enter NZ is the primary reason,” Webb, who is the director of Webb-Hope Investments, said.

At the moment, anyone entering New Zealand needs to do institutional quarantine for 14 days.

“While these restrictions may ease in the future, the uncertainty of this happening moving forward along with potential 5-8 month stints at a time away from my family has made it unsustainable for me past the T20 World Cup,” Webb said, adding, “I am not sure what the future holds for me at the moment but I remain excited. One thing I’m certain of is that I will be doing everything I can to guide our Indian cricket team men to the big dance at the T20 World Cup.”

Webb, who has worked with New Zealand Cricket for more than six years in the past, also spoke about the achievements of the Indian team and how he has been a privileged one to be a part of its dressing room.

“For the past 2+ years I have had the privilege and honour of representing India and Indian cricket team. We have achieved and grown a lot as a team during this time. As a team we created history, we won matches and we lost matches. But how we continually responded and adapted in the face of many challenges along with everyone’s willingness to compete every single day are things that make this team special,” he said.

India captain Virat Kohli will also step down from T20 captaincy after the upcoming World Cup.