The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently encountered challenges in appointing and retaining reputable figures as chief selectors. The role’s relatively lower pay and perceived lack of stature have dissuaded prominent former cricketers from pursuing the position. This predicament has raised concerns about the effectiveness and credibility of the selection process.
One significant factor hindering the recruitment of renowned former cricketers is the pay disparity between the chief selector role and other lucrative avenues such as broadcasting, endorsements, and cricket academies.
The current remuneration package of the chairman, receiving ₹1 crore annually, and other selectors earning ₹90 lakh per annum, pales in comparison to what these individuals can earn elsewhere. This discrepancy diminishes the financial allure of the position, deterring accomplished players from considering the job.
The North Zone, home to renowned cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, and Harbhajan Singh, has experienced a lack of applicants for the chief selector position. While Sehwag stands out as a potential candidate due to his stature and experience, the other players have yet to fulfill the mandatory five-year retirement period unless the BCCI relaxes this criterion to consider the five years since their last international game. This further restricts the talent pool for potential chief selectors from the region.
“During CoA’s time, Viru (Sehwag) was asked to apply for the head coach’s job, and then it went to Anil Kumble. It is unlikely he will apply himself, and also, the pay package isn’t something that will be financially viable for someone of his stature,” a BCCI official, privy to developments, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“It is not that BCCI can’t pay a chairman of selectors at least ₹4-5 crore. It can solve a lot of these conflict of interest issues which prevent prominent players from even thinking of coming into selection committee,” the source reasoned.
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The report highlights the challenges faced by a chairman of selectors who needs a certain pedigree when dealing with influential figures like Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, or Rahul Dravid during selection meetings. It emphasizes the importance of asserting one’s decisions in the face of such prominent personalities.
The example of Dilip Vengsarkar, the former chairman of selectors, illustrates how he could stand his ground and make a crucial decision between S Badrinath and Virat Kohli based on his observations during the India A games in Australia.
“When Dilip bhai was chairman, he had to choose between S Badrinath and Virat Kohli. He saw a few India A games in Australia and knew whom to back. Rest is history. He could stand his ground in front of Greg Chappell before that,” the veteran official recollected.
