Let CAC appoint selectors, CoA tells SC

MUMBAI: If an important suggestion of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to the amended draft constitution is accepted by the Supreme Court, then another key power of the elected office-bearers in the BCCI - appointing selectors- may be taken away and given to a committee along the lines of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which currently chooses only the head coach.
In a comment on the issue of the national selection committee, put up on the board's website, the CoA says: "As per the existing BCCI constitution, the selection committees are appointed by the general body of the BCCI at every AGM and the tenure of the selection committees is accordingly one year.
"Although the draft constitution that was annexed to the report of the Hon'able Justice Lodha Committee didn't make any change in this procedure for appointment of the selection committee, the CoA requests this Hon'able court to consider a procedure whereby the general body does not directly appoint the selection committees, but instead appoints a professional committee comprising of reputed former cricketers (like the erstwhile CAC which had comprised of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman)."
Further, the CoA has recommended a two-year period, instead of the current one, for the selectors. "Such professional committee can then appoint the selection committees for a term of two years."
Listing its reason for this recommendation, the CoA says: "This suggestion is being made with a view to ensure that the appointment of the selection committee is not politicized and the selection committees can have a longer tenure of two years. The CoA believes that this suggestion is in line with the spirit of recommendations of the Hon'ble Justice Lodha Committee because if further secures the independence of the selection committees." A BCCI official, well-versed with the inside happenings of the cricket body, endorsed CoA's proposal. "When it comes to appointing selectors, I've seen 'vote bank' games being played by office-bearers on this issue, in many board meetings I've attended in the past. The office-bearers expect and seek, and are given 'favours' from the selectors (in terms of selection) appointed by them. I've always felt that this practice of the general body appointing the selectors needs to be stopped," he said.
The CoA has also suggested that the committee appointed to pick the selectors, should also be asked to pick the coach and the support staff. As per the Lodha reforms, the selectors are required to pick the team's coach and support staff, but if accepted by the SC, this recommendation may expand the ambit of the CAC, which currently chooses only the head coach. The likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman may then have the power to choose the team's support staff, and the national selectors as well.