India National Cricket Team Selectors

Indian National Cricket Selectors is a committee of cricket administrators (usually composed of former cricket players) appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Its responsibility is to select members of cricket teams to represent India at various levels. The term for the selectors was increased from one year to two years in 2006 with a provision for an additional year based on performance. The selector are appointed by BCCI's three member Cricket Advisory Commitee (CAC), presently CAC includes Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjpe.

History

Until November 18th, 2022, Chetan Sharma was senior major selector and Debashish Mohanty, Harvinder Singh
and Sunil Joshi were members. This panel was sacked after an unsuccessful tour of Indian men's team in the 2022 T20 world cup.

Selection Committees

There are two selection committees :

Senior Selection Committee

This panel consists of 5 members from 5 zones of India: Central, North, West, South, and East, and selects players for senior Indian team.
*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

Present senior national selection committee

* Chetan Sharma (chief national selector)
* Subrato Banarjee
* Salil Ankola
* Sridharan Sharath
* Shiv Sundar Das
Ref - https://www.maharashtratimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-news/bcci-announces-new-selection-committee-chetan-sharma-back-as-chairman/amp_articleshow/96816051.cms

All India women's selection committee

This commitee selects players for Indian women's cricket team. This commitee only have womens, who have represented India on international level. Likewise men's selection committee, its members also appointed from five zones of the nation. The present members of this comittee :

* Neetu David (chief selector)

* Aarti Vaidya
* Renu Margaret
* Venkatcher Kalpana
* Mithu Mukharjee
Ref -

Junior Selection 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 incumbent Sr. 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 and the captain and coach have voting rights in team selection.

Controversies

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. BCCI tried addressing the issue as part of its Shashank Manohar led constitution review committee 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 Satwinder Vishu (Special Invitee), Raj Singh Dungarpur, Lele, Satwinder singh (vishu), S K Nair, N Subba Rao, Ratnakar Shetty, Bibhuti Das and Ranbir Singh recommended comprehensive reconstitution of the national selection committee. 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.
** After the 2007 Cricket World Cup debacle where India was eliminated in the first round, BCCI has scrapped the zonal selection system and is looking to replace the 5-man selection committee. 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. 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. 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.
** 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.
* Cricket Coaches and ex-cricketers have debated the merits and de-merits of the coach having a vote in the selection committee. Kapil Dev wanted to have voting rights when he took over as national coach but BCCI never gave any coach voting rights in the selection process at time of his tenure. But now the captain and coach have voting rights in team selection.

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 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. However the BCCI differed from the recommendation in picking 5 selectors and in the eligibility criteria (allowing for ODI and first-class experience also) .
* Former commentator, coach, cricketer and captain Ravi Shastri criticized some of Lodha committee recommendations, arguing for 5 selectors.

Salary of Committee Members

In August 2018, the Committee of Administrators increased the salary of national selectors in a meeting. In the meeting, It was decided that the remuneration of the members of the selection committee be increased to per annum (from 60 lahks per annum), while the chairman of the panel will now get (from 80 lahks per annum).

Meanwhile, the remuneration of the members of the junior selection committee has been increased to per annum with the chairman of the panel now receiving per annum.

The salaries of the Women's selection committee have also been increased, with the members now getting per annum and the chief selector set to receive per annum.

See also

* Sport in India
* Cricket in India

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian National Cricket Selectors
India national cricket team selectors
Cricket administration in India
India in international cricket
Cricket in India
Sport in India