SELECTION PANEL CONTROVERY - BCCI has picked best possible panel: Rathore

he Indian cricket board (BCCI) has been criticised for appointing a “very weak selection committee“ headed by former India stumper MSK Prasad. The five-member committee has a total experience of only 13 Test matches, which has led critics to question whether these selectors will be able to take a call on the perforS mance of senior Test players.

However, former selector Vikram Rathore has backed BCCI's decision to pick a young panel. “Getting big names with stature would have helped. But those big names have to apply for the job. The board will pick only from among those who applied for the job of a selector.I think all five selectors who have been picked have a good understanding of the game and in touch with latest trends.“

Rathore said a lot of former stars are busy with personal commitments which ruled t them out for the job. “There are alot of former stars who are do ing commentary , are attached with IPL teams or running aca demies and did not apply for the job because of the conflict of interest rule. Therefore, it would be completely unfair to blame the current committee,“ Rathore said, while adding that a country like Australia allows t a selector like Mark Waugh to be a commentator & columnist.

Rathore also said that the Lodha panel's advice to have . only three selectors is not a practical solution. “India is a vast country and it's impossib le to keep track of so many ta lented players with just three selectors. Last year, the panel picked some players who I didn't see till they played for the Rest of India. In last four years, I have seen more than 800 days of cricket, but I still feel I ha ven't seen them all. It's impossible to cover the entire count ry,“ he said.

Even a three-member selec tion committee along with another three member talent scout panel won't do any good L to cricket, Rathore felt. “You can't trust someone else's judgment to pick a player. If the panel member has seen a cricketer then it's a different story all together.“

The former selector, who fi nished his assignment after picking the Indian Test team for the New Zealand series at home, also said that the Lodha panel reiterating the `conflict of interest' point ahead of the AGM would have forced many former players to stay away from the race.

(TOI)