Team India cricketers are apparently not very happy with Anil Kumble and they have complained to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) about the coach's overbearing attitude.

Sources told India Today that the players are unhappy with the fact that there was no freedom in the dressing room and insisted that the coach does enjoy cordial relations with the players. It appears Kumble does not enjoy the confidence of his players.

This is a startling development ahead of India's Champions Trophy defense which commences on June 4 at Edgbaston with clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Kumble was appointed coach for a one-year term by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising his former teammates Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman in 2016.

The former leg-spinner took over and oversaw five successive series triumphs besides limited-overs series victories over New Zealand and England.

Under Kumble's watch, India were nearly unbeatable in the home Test season - losing only one of 13, winning 10 and drawing two. However, the BCCI initiated a hunt for a new coach and many felt it was because the board was unhappy with his role in salary negotiations for the players with the CoA.

Since it is a volatile situation, the CoA is understood to play it carefully, especially as India are days away from the Champions Trophy.

Back in 2007, Australian Greg Chappell's tenure as India coach had come to an end following a public spat with Ganguly and complaints from several other senior cricketers. In the decade that followed, the likes of Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh have spoken out about the tough times the team endured under Chappell.

Unlike Chappell, however, Kumble, has delivered the results. Under his command, India have not lost any series and Chesteshwar Pujara, who was going through a slump midway into 2016, finished the last season as the most prolific of Test batsmen.

The BCCI, in a press release issued on May 25, merely stated that a nominee of the CoA would oversee the process of appointing the next coach to ensure transparency.

"To ensure a fair and completely transparent process, a nominee of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) will oversee the entire process along with the Cricket Advisory Committee.

"The BCCI's three-member advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman will conduct interviews and seek presentations to select the best possible candidate to guide the team and take Indian Cricket forward."

Earlier, it was thought that the whole process was a mere formality and Kumble would indeed be retained. But if the players are unhappy with him, his position could weaken considerably.