T20 World Cup 2021, T20 World Cup 2022 disaster, WTC Final 2023 debacle, and World Cup 2023 could be next. As things stand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in no hurry to appoint a fifth selector who will be the new chairman of the BCCI selection committee. With three months left to the mega event, only four selectors are available and the fifth is unlikely to join. Add to that, the current selectors have a combined experience of just 55 matches.
- Shiv Sundar Das: Tests: 23, ODIs: 4
- Subroto Banerjee: Test: 1, ODIs: 6
- Salil Ankola: Test: 1, ODI: 20
- Sridharan Sharath: FC: 139, List A: 116
“See, we already have the World Cup squad. The shortlisted players will continue till World Cup. The final 15 will be based on the performance leading up to the WC. So, there is no need to hurry. You forget that a five-member committee picked these 15 players. So, there is no hurry as such,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport.
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BCCI has come under attack for its sluggish approach to selection committee affairs. It should be noted that even back in 2021, only a four-member selection committee picked the squad for T20 WC which ended in a group stage exit. In 2022 WC, it was once again a repeat of the same. And it prompted BCCI to fire all the selectors at a go following India’s 10-wicket thrashing to England in the semifinals.
But with the chairman of the selection committee Chetan Sharma stepping down following a TV sting operation, the committee is once again down to four. In between, India have lost yet another ICC event final and a Test reboot is on the cards.
Important decisions pending for chief selector before World Cup 2023:
- Who will succeed Rohit Sharma as Test and ODI captain?
- When to pull the plug on Rohit’s Test captaincy?
- Phasing out senior players from Tests.
- Who will be the first to go among senior players?
- Is there a place for Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli in the T20 team for WC 2024?
However, all these questions will only be answered post-World Cup. In December, when India tour South Africa, the transition will begin. But before that, BCCI officials and selectors are tight-lipped.
With the Indian board appointing a chief selector for the junior team as well as Mithu Mukherjee’s replacement in senior women’s team, the focus shifts to the head coach for Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. Only then, BCCI will focus on finding a replacement for Chetan Sharma. But who will replace him is the real question. BCCI faces and uphill task.
“It’s in the pipeline but there is no rush as such. The CAC will recommend a few names when it’s time. Whether it is before the World Cup is something we are discussing. But with the squad already made, it is not going to be a big deal,” the BCCI official said.
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.
- The 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.
- IPL commentary stint pays more for three months. Other times, they can work as commentators in bilateral series.
- That is why not many famous former players showed interest in applying for the job.
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