ICC Champions Trophy: Indian Team Selection On Monday

The Indian cricket team selection for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England and Wales, starting June 1, will take place on Monday. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) joint secretary Amitabh Choudhary will convene the selection meet. The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators met with BCCI members from the East and North Zone and they were against the idea of the Indian team pulling out of the Champions Trophy after the Indian board had been out-voted in its opposition to the new ICC revenue model. The BCCI members favoured a negotiation with the International Cricket Council over the revenue model.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court-appointed CoA had directed the BCCI to convene a selection committee meet and announce the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 "immediately".

The CoA asked BCCI's Amitabh Choudhary why the team has not yet been selected despite April 25 being the deadline.

The CoA also questioned the manner in which BCCI negotiated the entire revenue model deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) at a meet held in Dubai recently.

The CoA's directive makes it amply clear that the Indian cricket team will not pull out of the high-profile tournament.

"It would be appropriate to make all necessary preparations for ensuring that Team India can successfully defend its title in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 which commences on 1st June 2017. You are aware that the squad representing India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 was to be submitted by 25th April 2017 but the squad has not even been selected as yet. Please convene a meeting of the selection committee for selecting the squad immediately. The squad can then be submitted to the ICC without prejudice to BCCI's legal rights," the CoA wrote in a letter to Choudhary.

The COA told that the office-bearers should keep in mind while mulling a pull-out that "India are the best team in the world today".

"Team India should be provided with a supportive environment to showcase Indian cricket instead of being surrounded with uncertainty and confusion. There has been more than enough negativity surrounding Team India's participation in the ICC Champions Trophy and the sooner the same is put to rest the better," the letter stated.

The COA reminded the office-bearers and state unit officials that the "players' interest should be paramount".

In a major loss of face on Wednesday, the BCCI was out-voted in its opposition to the new model in an ICC meet in Dubai, which has ended up nearly halving India's share from the USD 570 million it was getting till last year.

BCCI had rejected an additional USD 100 million offer from ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar, refusing to accept the new revenue model.

(With Inputs From Rica Roy)