The BCCI has made some key changes to the team of selectors. The most significant change is that the selection panel will now be held responsible for the team’s performance. This decision was welcomed by Indian cricket fans as it will demand more accountability from the selectors.
Sunil Joshi – New Chairman Of Selectors
The BCCI has announced that it has appointed former cricketer Sunil Joshi as the head of selectors. Another new name has also been added.
Ex-player Harvinder Singh will join the 5 member selection panel which includes Jatin Paranjape, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh. Former chairman MSK Prasad and selector Gagan Khoda bid adieu to their terms; they have been respectively replaced by Joshi and Singh.
The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) were given the responsibility of choosing the new selectors; they had a difficult job to do as there were 40 applications. Some of those names included former leggie and commentator L Sivaramakrishnan, Karnataka pacer Venkatesh Prasad and also former off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan.
The BCCI policy looks at all 5 selectors and selects the player with the most Test caps to be Chairman. Joshi had the edge over the others having played 15 tests. The BCCI has given the selectors a tenure of 12 months and once it is over, a new selection panel will be picked.
Selectors Will Be Held Accountable Going Forward
The big change is that the selectors will now be responsible for the results of the Indian cricket team across all formats; starting with the upcoming 3 match ODI series against South Africa.
The BCCI decided to make this change as it believed it was the right thing to do for Indian cricket. The selectors will certainly feel a little more pressure as they know how difficult it can be for everyone involved when the Indian team loses.
The selectors and head coach Ravi Shastri have received a lot of flak recently after India suffered an embarrassing 3-0 ODI series whitewash and a 2-0 test whitewash against New Zealand.
The new set of selectors will need to work closely together and be on the same page if they want to have good results. Their first task is to name the ODI squad that will take on South Africa.
No Room For Favouritism Anymore
The Indian selection panel has been accused over the years of playing favorites and giving some batsmen and bowlers a lot of rope despite repeated failures. They have also been accused of being biased to certain zones as well as players and overlooking them deliberately.
Ambati Rayudu criticized the selectors in 2019 for being overlooked for the ICC World Cup; he also went on to retire because he felt he was treated unfairly. Moreover, domestic player Sheldon Jackson has also gone on record to point out flaws in the way the selectors have shortlisted the Indian A squad.
Now that the BCCI is holding the selectors accountable, there will certainly be less room for favouritism. The head coach and Indian captain will have their say as usual as to who they want; but it will be up to Sunil Joshi and his panel to decide the way forward. One certainly hopes that the new accountability policy will eliminate selection favouritism completely from Indian cricket!
