India national cricket team selectors

Indian National Cricket Selectors is a committee of cricket administrators (usually ex-cricket players) whose responsibility is the selection of cricket team to represent India at various levels. The term for the selectors was increased from 1-year to 2 years in 2006^[1] with a provision for an additional year based on performance. Technically, there are 2 groups of selectors:

• All India Senior Selection Committee: Responsibilities includes selection of teams for:
  • International matches – Test Matches, ODI Matches and T20I Matches
  • India 'A' teams – both for home and away series
  • President's XI / BCCI XI to play visiting international teams
• All India Junior Selection Committee: Responsibilities include selection of teams for international tournaments involving:
  • Under-19 Cricket
  • Under-17 Cricket
  • Under-15 Cricket

Committee composition

The selection committee consists of 5 members and a convenor. Only the 5 members of the selection committee have voting rights on team selection. The convenor is the Secretary, BCCI for the senior selection team and Jr. Secretary for junior selection team.

The 5 members in the selection committee were traditionally selected from the 5 cricket zones – North Zone, Central Zone, West Zone, East Zone, South Zone. One of the 5 members is selected by BCCI as the Chairman of the selection committee. Under pressure from the Lodha committee recommendation, the BCCI scrapped the zonal system in 2016

The Captain and Coach are invited to the selection committee meetings to present their opinions on team players though the captain and coach don't have voting rights in team selection.

Issues with Selection Committee composition based on the Zonal system

• The biggest criticism of the traditional zonal system based 5 member selection committee is that of the interest served by the committee members. The popular opinion is that the selectors constantly engage in promoting the interests of players from their zone or vote on players based on cross-promotion from other zones instead of selecting the best available team.^[2] BCCI tried addressing the issue as part of its Shashank Manohar led constitution review committee^[3] in 2006. However, a lack of consensus and concerns by zonal heads scuttled any efforts to reduce the 5 member committee to a 3 or 4 member national committee.
  • In August 1998, the Rules Revision Committee composed of Jagmohan Dalmiya (Special Invitee), Raj Singh Dungarpur, Lele, Jyoti Bajpai, S K Nair, N Subba Rao, Ratnakar Shetty, Bibhuti Das and Ranbir Singh recommended comprehensive reconstitution of the national selection committee.^[4] The Selection committee would consists of 3 members who have played at least 20 Tests or 50 Ranji Trophy each. In addition, the selectors would be paid instead of asking them to take an honorary position and would be aided by a 5-member talent spotter team – one from each Zone. Unfortunately the recommendations of this committee report was never implemented and the reasons remain unknown.^[4]
  • After the 2007 Cricket World Cup debacle where India was eliminated in the first round, BCCI has scapped the zonal selection system and is looking to replace the 5-man selection committee.^[5] The details of the new structure is still awaited. BCCI's decision has been welcomed by several players including former Chairman of selection committee, Kiran More.^[6] The proposed changes appear to have fallen through subsequently.
• John Wright, Indian National Coach (2000–2005) in his book John Wright's Indian Summers championed the need to have professionally paid selectors rather than have people play the role on an honorary basis. John Wright felt that professionally paid selectors could be held accountable for their actions.^[2] In the book, John Wright disclosed that he felt frustrated at some of the decisions made by the selectors at various points during his coaching career.^[7]
  • After the 2007 Cricket World Cup debacle where India was eliminated in the first round, BCCI has decided to scrap the honorary system for selectors and have paid selectors.^[5]
• Cricket Coaches and ex-cricketers have debated the merits and de-merits of the coach having a vote in the selection committee. Kapil Dev^[8] wanted to have voting rights when he took over as national coach but BCCI never gave any coach voting rights in the selection process.

Lodha committee recommendations and subsequent changes

• The Lodha committee provided recommendations that the Supreme Court of India ordered the BCCI to implement. One recommendation was to have scrap the zonal system and appoint 3 national selectors who would all be Test players retired for a minimum of 5 years. The BCCI was thus forced to finally scrap the zonal system in Sep 2016, advertising for applications and using personal interviews to pick the selectors.^[9] However the BCCI differed from the recommendation in picking 5 selectors and in the eligibility criteria (allowing for ODI and first class experience also) .^[10]
• Former commentator, coach, cricketer and captain Ravi Shastri criticized some of Lodha committee recommendations, arguing for 5 selectors.^[11]

Current Committee Members

• M S K Prasad (Chairman)
• Devang Gandhi
• Sarandeep Singh
• Jatin Paranjpe
• Gagan Khoda

References