The South Australian, who opted not to enter into talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a renewal of his contract which ended at the end of last year, is to marry Tisha, a pilot with a private Indian airline company, towards the middle of next month. Earlier in the evening, team manager Dr BR Soni confirmed that Gloster had written to the BCCI two weeks back, tendering his resignation.

Gloster, who took over from fellow-Australian Andrew Leipus in February 2005, acknowledged that he was leaving with a better injury management structure in place, courtesy the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. “Players going out of the Indian team through injuries can now go to the NCA for rehab and recovery.

Especially with a trainer and a physio present full-time, we can rest assured that the standards that we have set for the national team are the ones that are being followed by players going out of the team with injuries.

“It helps me, or whoever the physio is, to know that the programme chalked out for the rehabilitation of injured players is being followed to the letter. I must also add that (trainer) Greg King has done an outstanding job in ensuring that the fitness levels of players is constantly on the increase. It is important that these standards percolate down to other levels also, and I am confident that the structure in place is equipped to do so,” Gloster told Deccan Herald.

Biggest change

The biggest change since he first entered the Indian set-up, Gloster revealed, had been the increased awareness of Indian players when it came to injury management. “Particularly given the quantum of cricket being played, it is essential that players know what they must do, and what they must not in terms of exercises, rehabilitation, diet and those kinds of things. They must not only know what they should do but also why they should do it, and I can see that the players that I have worked with in India are acknowledging the importance of these issues.”

Particularly in the last few months, Gloster has been under increasing scrutiny following injuries to key fast bowlers Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh and Munaf Patel. The BCCI wasn’t too happy with the way the Yuvraj Singh knee injury issue in particular on this tour was handled, but the team itself is grateful for Gloster’s presence over the last three years. “In terms of losing someone, you always realise his importance after losing him,” all-rounder Irfan Pathan said. “John has done a wonderful job. But cricket never stops for anyone, it keeps going irrespective. Personally, I have a very good rapport with John. He is a wonderful guy. We will miss him, for sure.”

It has been Gloster’s responsibility to keep an eye on what medication the players take, given that a drug policy has been put in place by the International Cricket Council. “The drug-list keeps changing, and many innocuous drugs that are available across the counter in the sub-continent contain substances that come under the banned list. Consequently, it is essential for the players to be careful about what medicines they take,” Gloster added.
It is possible that Gloster may renew his association with Indian cricket in some capacity in the future. Asked if a role at the NCA, not necessitating travel, was on his radar, he replied, “I really don’t know, it’s early days yet. I haven’t thought about it a lot, to be honest.”

Then, reflecting on his journey with the Indian team, he observed, “The last three years have been a terrific experience. It has been challenging with its attendant pressures, as you can well imagine, but it has also been very fulfilling. It’s not easy living in hotel rooms 350 days a year; you can manage the travel when you are single, but when you are attached, it’s a different matter altogether. I gave the job everything I could, and I am leaving a contented man.”