Drama, confusion in BCCI selection meeting

Mumbai: Confusion prevailed in the BCCI selection meeting on Friday as it was delayed by over two and half hours. The selection committee chaired by former India wicket-keeper M.S.K. Prasad was set to pick the India team for the three-match ODI and Twenty20 series against England and India A team for the warm up games. But the selection committee convened by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri could start only after 3 pm instead of scheduled 12.30 pm due to logistical reasons given by the board.

Former BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary had sought Johri to postpone the selection meeting to evening so that he could convene the meeting and attend the same. Johri intimated the Lodha committee secretary Gopal Shankarnarayan about the same through email but Shankarnarayan informed Johri to go ahead with the meeting as Chaudhary “stands disqualified “in the wake of SC order on January 2 and 3 and can’t convene the selection meeting as secretary Ajay Shirke has also been sacked by apex court.

Earlier, the board had got clearance from Lodha Panel to go ahead with the meeting despite having a five-member selection panel which is against Lodha recommendations that the selection panel should be reduced to a three-member body instead of the current five, and all three members should be former Test players. Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda — part of selection committee — haven’t played Test cricket.

The selection meeting, which started after 3 pm continued for more than an hour with newly appointed skipper Virat Kohli joining through skype. The drama intensified when the junior selection committee chief and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad made an exit as the meeting was seemingly on. But MSK didn’t comment on Venkatesh’s presence and clarified that they didn’t seek his inputs.

“We had sought no inputs and the team was entirely selected by the selection committee with Virat Kohli joining in via skype,” he said. MSK also reiterated that M.S. Dhoni had conveyed to him the decision to quit on the last day of the just concluded Ranji Trophy semi-final between Jharkhand and Gujarat in Nagpur. “I was in Nagpur for four days and MSD was there with Jharkhand team and he talked about good things. On the last day he informed me about his decision to quit,” he said.