BCCI sacks Chetan Sharma-led selection committee after T20 WC disappointments

BCCI has sacked India's national selection committee led by former India pacer Chetan Sharma after the T20 World Cup disappointments, reported news agency PTI. Sunil Joshi, Harvinder Singh, and Debasish Mohanty were the other members of the selection committee. A major rejig in the selection committee was likely in December after the current panel failed to deliver results, especially in multi-nation tournaments. India failed to qualify for the semi-finals during last year's T20 World Cup and the finals of this year's Asia Cup. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, they lost to England in the semi-final.

Chetan Sharma (North zone), Harvinder Singh (Central Zone), Sunil Joshi (South Zone) and Debasish Mohanty (East Zone) have had the shortest stint as senior national selectors in recent times. Some of them were appointed in 2020 and some in 2021.

A senior national selector normally gets a four-year term subject to extension. There was no selector from West Zone after Abbey Kuruvilla's tenure ended.

When the selection committee was last reconstituted with Chetan Sharma as the Chairman in December 2020, the BCCI made it clear in a statement that 'the CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI'.

The BCCI have also invited applications for the post of five new selectors and laid down the criteria for the same.

"Candidates who wish to apply for the said position need to fulfill the following criteria for their applications to be considered. "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 5 years shall be eligible to be a member of Men's Selection Committee," said BCCI in a release.

The last date of application is 28 November.