Chetan Sharma, Harvinder re-apply for BCCI selector’s job

Former India pacers Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh, whose tenures as selectors were not extended the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have again applied for membership of the panel, it is learnt. After the T20 World Cup where India’s journey ended in the semi-finals, the BCCI had decided not to extend the tenures of their selection committee. Fresh applications were invited and the BCCI is going to have a new panel in the coming weeks.
More than 60 applicants have applied for the post, including Sharma and Singh. The other two members of the erstwhile panel, Sunil Joshi and Debashish Mohanty haven’t re-applied. The BCCI hasn’t received applications from any ‘big’ names barring a few former cricketers who wish to become members of the five-member selection committee.
Interestingly, current junior selection committee chairman S Sharath too has applied for the post. The other prominent names include Venkatesh Prasad, Dodda Ganesh, Maninder Singh, Nikhil Chopra, Atul Wassan, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Nayan Mongia, SS Das, Salil Ankola, Sameer Dighe, Ajay Ratra, Gyanendra Pandey, Jacob Martin, Subroto Banerjee and Iqbal Siddiqui.
It is learnt that a few former domestic stalwarts too have applied for the post. As per the criteria set board, candidates should have played seven Test matches or 30 first- class matches or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches. The applicant should have retired from the game at least five years ago.
The BCCI is yet to announce its new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) which has been left with one member Sulakshana Naik. Former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, who was part of the CAC, has joined Mumbai Indians as talent scout.
The new selection panel will have to “appoint captaincy for the team in each format”.
At present, Rohit Sharma is leading the team in all formats, but Hardik Pandya was the captain of the T20I side for the tour of New Zealand. Pandya is the favourite to take over the reins in the shortest format, after leading Gujarat Titans to the Indian Premier League title in their inaugural season itself. Another possible contender for captaincy, Jasprit Bumrah, is out injured at the moment, and it remains to be seen what happens when he returns to the side. As for Rohit, he is already 35 years old and the Board may want to keep him as captain for the next year’s 50-over World Cup on home soil, with Pandya being groomed keeping in mind the next T20 World Cup in 2024 in the West Indies and United States. Most of the senior players who featured in the recent edition in Australia are unlikely to be in the team for the next edition.