BCCI names new selection panel; Chetan Sharma continues as chairman
What's the story
Chetan Sharma returns as the chairman of the BCCI's national men's senior selection committee. He will be joined by Shiv Sunder Das, Salil Ankola, Subroto Banerjee, and S Sharath in the new panel. Sharma held the same position in the previous committee which was sacked in November 2022, post India's exit in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup Down Under. Here's more.
Applications
BCCI received around 600 applicants
As per a statement issued by BCCI, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape managed an extensive process for selecting members of the senior selection committee. Notably, the BCCI received around 600 applications following its advertisement for the five posts issued on its official website on November 18, 2022.
Information
11 candidates were shortlisted for interviews
Out of 600 applicants, CAC then shortlisted 11 individuals for personal interviews. CAC then recommended the candidates for the senior men's national selection committee.
Selection Committee
The previous panel continued to make the selections
The previous panel, comprising Sunil Joshi, Harvinder Singh, Debasis Mohanty, and Sharma, selected the squads for the tour of New Zealand (T20Is and ODIs) and Bangladesh (ODIs and Tests), and the ongoing home series against Sri Lanka (T20Is and ODIs). As per ESPNcricinfo, the panel was given an extension until the end of 2022. Besides, they were assigned to track the Ranji Trophy matches.
Sharma
Sharma was the preferred choice
As per ESPNcricinfo, there were a few indications that Sharma might continue with his role as chairman of the selection committee. He was a part of the BCCI's review meeting at the start of the year for Team India's roadmap regarding the ICC Cricket World Cup. The meeting was also attended by skipper Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and NCA chief VVS Laxman.
Selection Panel
Here's the new selection panel
The panel has a combined experience of 95 ODIs and 48 Tests. Both Sharma and Das have played 23 Tests each, while Banerjee and Ankola have one Test appearance each. Sharma also featured in 65 ODIs. Ankola, Das, and Banerjee have played 20, four, and six matches in this regard, respectively. Sharath never played for India, however, has scored 8,700 FC runs at 51.17.
Roles
A look at their previous roles
Sharath served as the chairman of the junior men's selection committee till recently. Ankola, a former pacer, headed the Mumbai selection committee until the new appointment. Meanwhile, Das and Banerjee were involved in coaching. Notably, Das is the only member of the current panel to have T20 experience up his sleeves. He played three T20s back in October 2011.