BCCI Selection Committee: BCCI faces tough challenge to lure top cricketers for chief selector’s post

The World’s richest cricket body in a country filled with top-class cricketers, yet the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is finding it difficult to lure top stars for the chief selector role ahead of World Cup 2023. The Indian board finally posted a new advertisement for BCCI Selection Committee. The new selector will also be a replacement for Chetan Sharma, who stepped down in February following an embarrassing TV sting operation.

Someone who has played 24 Tests will automatically be the chief selector. However, BCCI does not hope top players to apply. The idea is to fill in the post in the next 30 days as World Cup 2023 squad selection is of utmost priority.

In the land of Sachin Tendulkar, and Sunil Gavaskar among many other cricket greats, BCCI is struggling. The reasons are manyfold. Not just the absence of a big cheque but also the conflict of interest allegations that have marred prominent candidates in the past. The last time, Venkatesh Prasad was the only big name. But he was not even shortlisted by the Cricket Advisory Committee.

Also Read: Virender Sehwag confirms he hasn’t been asked to be BCCI selector

Why is it difficult to find a selector?

The big reason is that it is a thankless job with not a great pay package as per BCCI’s standards.
With a salary of Rs 1 Cr for the chief selector and Rs 90 lakh for other selectors, not many are interested.
A former player can earn more if he is associated with IPL commentary or IPL team in three months.
Furthermore, to challenge someone of Rahul Dravid’s stature, the selector needs to at par. However, inexperience in international cricket and lack of voice have not helped.
The other big reason why established players stay out is because of the conflict of interest issue.
A selector cannot be associated with commentary or IPL or run his own business or academy.
That is why not many famous former players showed interest in applying for the job.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag and spinner Harbhajan Singh publicly criticised the pay package offered for selectors.

“I don’t know how much the chief selector in India earns, but if Sehwag is in commentary or in other businesses around cricket, then it’s likely he is earning more money. If you want Sehwag, a player with stature, for the chief selector’s job, then spending money has to be key. If a man like Rahul Dravid is made the coach, then the chief selector must have the same stature as well,” Harbhajan Singh told Indian Express earlier.

Current BCCI Selection Committee:

Shiv Sundar Das: Tests: 23, ODIs: 4 (Playing career)
Subroto Banerjee: Test: 1, ODIs: 6
Salil Ankola: Test: 1, ODI: 20
Sridharan Sharath: FC: 139, List A: 116

For now, BCCI is not looking to increase selectors’ salaries even though it can without breaking much sweat. Any revision is only likely in the next tenure. However, for that to happen, BCCI will also have to knock on the Supreme Court’s door again to revise its constitution and relax some of the rules around selection committee members.

“It is not that BCCI can’t pay a chairman of selectors at least Rs 4-5 crore. It can actually solve a lot of these conflict of interest issues which prevent prominent players from even thinking of coming into selection committee,” PTI quoted a BCCI source.

But as things stand, without a chief selector, who is of big stature, at least of Chetan Sharma’s, some of the key decisions will have BCCI top brass jumping in.