BCCI defies Lodha recommendations on eligibility for selection committees

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday put up several criteria on its website while inviting applications for the senior, junior and women’s selection committees.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday put up several criteria on its website while inviting applications for the senior, junior and women’s selection committees. For the first time in the history of Indian cricket, selection committees will be formed via personal interviews.

All that the BCCI has strictly adhered to from the Lodha recommendation is the five-year criteria.(PTI)

In doing so, the BCCI has defied the Lodha Committee’s recommendations as far as the formation of selection committees is concerned. 

The BCCI’s criteria for senior selection panel is: “He or she should have represented the Indian team either in a Test match or a one-day international or more than 50 First Class matches in India”, whereas the Lodha panel has recommended only “former Test players” for the senior men’s selection committee and “former India international cricketers” to be a part of the senior women’s national team. 

There is no provision for first class cricketers in the Lodha Committee’s recommendations in any senior selection committees. 

In case of junior selection committee, the BCCI has gone a step further than the Lodha recommendation. The BCCI has stated that the candidate should have played “more than 50 First Class matches” in India to be considered for this appointment. However, the Lodha recommendation eligibility is “minimum 25 First Class matches”. As per the Lodha report, the junior selection panel is part of the junior cricket committee that will do also select coaches, support staff members and conducting tournaments. 

All that the BCCI has strictly adhered to from the Lodha recommendation is the five-year criteria. “He or she should have retired on record, from all forms of cricket at least five years prior to this date of application,” stated the BCCI in its application. 

Whether the BCCI will stick to its five-selector policy or make it a three-member selection committees as per the Lodha recommendation too is not yet clear. BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke was unavailable for clarification.