Revolving door continues in Indian selection committee with Kuruvilla’s exit
New rules mean the former India pacer’s tenure has ended.
There will be another change in the senior selection committee because one of the members, former pacer Abey Kuruvilla, exceeded his tenure as per terms of the new BCCI constitution. This was confirmed by a BCCI official who said on Wednesday, “yes, Abey’s tenure is complete.”.
Kuruvilla was appointed as a national selector from West Zone along with chairman Chetan Sharma (North Zone) and Debashish Mohanty (East Zone) in December 2020. He had completed a four-year term as chairman of the junior selection committee in 2012. Kuruvilla’s collective tenure is more than five years which prohibits him from continuing as a selector, according to the BCCI rule book.
“No person who has been a member of any Cricket Committee for a total 5 years shall be eligible to be a member of any Cricket Committee,” reads Rule 26 (3) of the BCCI constitution. The board will call for new applications. Kuruvilla’s appointment for a short-term is known to have occurred on oversight over the tenure clause by the BCCI.
No continuity
This continues the lack of continuity in the selection committee. In less than two years it has been headed by three chairmen. When Sharma replaced former Test spinner Sunil Joshi – he serves under Sharma in the current committee - as the new chairman, he had been only nine months in the job. The man with the most Test caps becomes chairman as per the board’s constitution. That’s how, Joshi (15 Tests) was replaced by Sharma (23 Tests).
Although the appointment of selectors is made in the annual general meeting, the convention is for them to complete their tenure to ensure continuity in selection process and build a relationship with the team management. Before Joshi, MSK Prasad was the chairman and completing his tenure of four years. Prasad’s predecessors Sandeep Patil and Krishnamachari Srikkanth too had served their full terms. Board officials admit there have been too many changes but blame it on the new rules.
Sharma’s current stint has been eventful because it has had Virat Kohli stepping down as captain of the Test and T20 teams and being relieved of it from the ODIs.