BCCI sacks Chetan Sharma-led selection committee; invites application for new national selectors

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited applications for the position of National Selectors (Senior Men), confirming the end of the road for the Chetan Sharma-led national selection committee.

The selection committee also included former Indian cricketers Debashish Mohanty, Harvinder Singh, and Sunil Joshi. However, the tenure of the committee was highly tumultuous, with the unceremonious sacking of Virat Kohli as the ODI captain standing out.

On Friday, November 18, the official BCCI website confirmed that the board is looking to put a new national selection committee in place for the senior men’s cricket team.

While opening up the positions, the Indian cricket board revealed the criteria for applications as below:

National Selectors (Senior Men)

Positions - 5

Should have played a minimum of

a) 7 Test matches; OR

b) 30 First Class matches; OR

c) 10 ODI and 20 First Class matches.

Should have retired from the game at least 5 years ago.

No person who has been a member of any Cricket Committee (as defined in the rules and regulations of BCCI) for a total of five years shall be eligible to be a member of the Men’s Selection Committee.

The last date for submission of applications has been set as November 28, 2022 (6 pm).

The Sharma-led national selection committee chose the 15-member Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2022 Down Under. The squad captained by Rohit Sharma failed in the knockouts, going down to England by 10 wickets in the second semi-final in Adelaide.

Before that, the Indian team underperformed in the Asia Cup 2022 as well, failing to make it to the final.

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About Chetan Sharma and other sacked BCCI selection committee members

A former India pacer, Sharma played 23 Tests and 65 ODIs, claiming 61 and 67 wickets, respectively. He also has an ODI hundred to his name. However, his name is forever associated with the six that Javed Miandad hit off the last ball in the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah.

Mohanty is also a former pacer from Odisha, who played two Tests and 45 ODIs for India. He was part of the 1999 World Cup squad.

Harvinder, who was also a medium pacer, featured in three Tests and 16 ODIs, while former left-arm spinner Joshi represented India in 15 Tests and 69 ODIs.