Dubai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to bring about changes to its selection policy following their team's dismal show in England which resulted in the team losing the number one Test ranking.Meanwhile, India's finance ministry wants the BCCI to be more transparent in their activities especially their financial dealing. The BCCI is the richest sports organisation in the country.
Following India's pathetic performance in England, the BCCI's working committee that met on Monday has decided to revamp the selection committee by including cricketers who have retired from the game five years back. Under the present rule, only a cricketer who had retired from the game ten years ago is considered eligible to become a selector.
The working committee meeting saw the emergence of former Indian captain Anil Kumble as a cricket administrator. The move to revamp the eligibility criteria to become a selector was mooted by Kumble, who is now the president of the Karnataka Cricket Association.
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He said a selector who retired ten years ago might be out of tune with modern cricket. However, former allrounder Roger Binny is set to become the next chairman of the selection committee.
Former Test star Sanjeev Sharma is being considered as the North Zone selection committee representative.
Irregularities
Meanwhile, the finance ministry has asked the BCCI president Shashank Manohar to appear before the Enforcement Directorate to explain the alleged financial irregularities during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
A move to pass a bill bringing all sports bodies under the umbrella of the government is on. This will result in the BCCI having to be more transparent in its financial dealings.
Some of the state cricket association members have expressed their concern over the workload for the Indian cricket with hardly any break. Almost all their recent tours abroad were with very few practice matches and no conditioning camp before a Test or One-day series. This has resulted in players being unable to acclimatise to the different conditions.
Hence, an extensive plan to prepare the Indian team with a camp is on before the oncoming tour to Australia. A defeat against the Australians too may result in Indian team slipping low down the ranking.
The annual general body meeting to be held tomorrow is likely to be volatile with many members wanting an explanation from the top officials as to why the World Champions have suddenly lost their form.
