Mumbai: Former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad was elevated as chairman of the BCCI senior selection committee while Jatin Paranjpe, Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi were included in the five-member selection panel with Gagan Khoda staying as the fifth member.
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad was retained as chairman of the junior selection committee that includes Rakesh Parikh, Aashish Kapoor, Amit Sharma and Gyanendra Pandey. Interestingly, Prasad (33 Tests and 161 ODIs) has far more International experience than the whole senior selection committee.
In fact, the new selection committee has a combined international experience of 13 Tests and 31 ODIs. Paranjpe and Khoda have no Test experience. BCCI’s decisions in the 87th Annual General Meeting here on Wednesday were in complete defiance of the Lodha Committee guidelines, which had called for a three-member panel instead of five with all members having Test experience. Ajay Shirke was elected as BCCI Secretary unopposed though Lodha panel had questioned the election also.
“We had communicated to Lodha Panel before and yesterday also. We will submit the second progress report, which is new. One can question any thing but BCCI has to function on day to basis and we have 500th Test starting tomorrow. Secretary is the principal officer whose election had come to an end. So going forward, Secretary is empowered person carrying up day-to-day affairs subject to the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. All our decisions are subject to (Apex) court orders,” Shirke said.
The Board has also called an emergent Special General Meeting of the BCCI here on September 30 to consider the amendments recommended by Lodha Committee.
