BCCI President Sourav Ganguly confirms two changes in the Indian team's selection panel
What's the story?
BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that there will be two changes in the selection committee of the Indian cricket team. With this confirmation, Ganguly hinted towards the exit of MSK Prasad from the selection panel while Gagan Khoda will also have to leave the committee having served his full tenure. Devang Gandhi, Jatin Paranjpe and Saranjeet Singh will hold their respective positions.
The background
Prasad took over as the head of the Indian selection committee on the 21st of September, 2016. He played a key role in the Indian squad selection for the 2019 World Cup. But, the board has been looking for his replacement following the completion of his tenure.
Besides, Ganguly had pitched an idea of having a 4-nation Super Series in the future which would feature India, Australia, England and another top team. During this interview, he further discussed that proposal.
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The heart of the matter
Talking to Hindustan Times on the 28th of December, Sourav Ganguly said,
“Only two selectors need to be named."
However, he did not reveal the possible replacements for the two selectors, although he did provide an update on the formation of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
“We will take two or three days to form the CAC. There is no point in throwing up names, because when we approach the players (for CAC), they take a couple of days to respond. We will have an update soon.”
Also, he explained the reasons for conducting the Super Series tournament and said,
“It’s a proposal. Let’s see where it goes. The reason behind it is only to have a good, competitive tournament. So, that’s where it stands. We will have to get clearances from the broadcasters and ICC for a four-nation tournament. Then, there are the Future Tours Programme (FTP) areas to look at, as to where do we fit it within the FTP. But it’s just a way to create a niche tournament. We are looking for quality cricket. What we see today, is only bilaterals happening. People want to see a high class tournament and we are attempting to do it. Look at the crowds in the Boxing Day Test between Australia and New Zealand. So, that’s also one of the reasons. Pink Ball Test was one such effort to generate crowd interest."
What's next?
It will be intriguing to see who replaces Prasad and Khoda in the selection committee. Besides, the fans also await the official announcement of the first edition of Super Series.