BCCI Makes Big Change To Selection Policy After Recent Backlash: Report
The BCCI has brought a significant change to its selection policy amid recent criticism over rushing injured players into the first team.
- BCCI announced squad for 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan with fitness conditions
- Players like Bumrah, Sundar, Rana, and Reddy marked with fitness uncertainty asterisks
- BCCI requires 200% confidence in player fitness before finalizing squad selections
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Tuesday, though the selections came with a few conditions. The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana had an asterisk next to their names, suggesting that the board isn't 100% sure of their fitness. A report has now explained the new approach the BCCI has adopted over players' selection amid recent criticism of its handling of injured players.
The last few months have seen the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) coming in the line of fire over poor management of injured players. The likes of Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and even Nitish Kumar Reddy were called up for international assignments, only to be ruled out after cameos on the field.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, the BCCI has now decided not to name a player in the squad unless the management is 200 percent sure of the fitness status.
"Not just 100 per cent, but they want to be 200 per cent confident about a player's availability before releasing him," said a source familiar with the policy said.
Recently, CoE head VVS Laxman explained the board's stance, suggesting there's an attempt to have absolute transparency in selection affairs.
"They (players) understand that they're not yet ready to participate in the national series. It's always player-centric and team-centric. So that communication is happening seamlessly. I think what the BCCI has done is there's transparency in all the fitness reports and also in the selection.
"At the end of the selection, whether it's a release to the press, it's clearly mentioned that these players are picked subject to fitness. Means if they don't clear the fitness test, the selectors will know who the other players are who will go in their place if they don't clear the fitness test. I mean, it's basic common sense," Laxman had said.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also explained the asterisk around certain players' names, saying since the selections are made 3-4 weeks before an international assignment, the board wants to ensure that conditions of selection are explicitly mentioned.
"So if he gets picked within that period of 21 or 28 days, he will be taken into the team," Saikia had said. "So that is precisely why we do not outrightly reject him because on the date of selection, we are rejecting him because on that day he is not fit. But, by the time it is effectively required for travel or to play the match, by that time he may be totally fit".
As far as the selections for the Afghanistan series are concerned, both Bumrah and Reddy are on track to be fully fit and available for selection for the series opener in Delhi on September 13.
The cases of Rana and Sundar, however, are not clear yet. "The CoE will not take chances," the report quoted the source as saying.
India Cricket Team