The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave special treatment to the India cricket team’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir. According to BCCI’s rules, coaches aren’t allowed to be part of the selection committee meetings, but the board made an exception just for Gambhir with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in mind.
BCCI gives preferential treatment to Gambhir?
While it’s a common trend to hear the head coach’s or captain’s opinion, allowing either of them on the selection committee is unheard of in Indian Cricket for the last decade or so. Gambhir’s predecessors weren’t given the special opportunity despite producing special results, but the current coach was added to BCCI’s 5-man selection consisting of Ajit Agarkar, Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratna, and Sridhar Sarath.
“Gautam Gambhir was given access, which his predecessors Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid didn’t have. The BCCI’s rule book doesn’t allow coaches to be a part of the selection committee meetings, but for the Australia tour selection meeting, an exception was made. The head coach was allowed to attend considering the magnitude of the tour,” a BCCI source told PTI.
BGT squad selection
The decision may not have irked many before the India vs New Zealand Test series, given what it means to complete a hat-trick of BGT series wins Down Under. However, now that history has been created and not in a good way, many would question BCCI’s decision to allow Gambhir on the selection committee for the Australia tour.
Of course, one can’t forget that the squad for BGT was announced during the second Test in Pune. Several of these players have failed to perform in India’s humiliating 0-3 defeat, and people are calling for their heads. Meanwhile, those who performed in the India A vs Australia A match in Mackay couldn’t be added.
Now that things haven’t gone how they would have liked, BCCI might be ruing their call to allow Gambhir on board.
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