The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been searching for a chairman of selectors for the senior men’s Indian cricket team since Chetan Sharma resigned from the post more than six months back after a sting operation on the Zee News channel. With barely four months remaining for the start of the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, which gets underway on October 5, BCCI are desperately looking to fill the vacant position at the earliest.

The chairman of selectors has to be from the North Zone to replace Chetan Sharma, who was from the same zone, according to the rules in BCCI constitution and one of the biggest names doing the rounds is former India opener Virender Sehwag. The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ has never held an administrative position with any cricket body since his international retirement back in 2015.

But according to a PTI news agency report, the biggest hurdle to Sehwag taking up the position of chairman of selector is the remuneration being offered by the BCCI. Chetan Sharma lost his job in February following a sting operation, where he was seen discussing confidential information related to the Indian players and team selection.

Former India opener Shiv Sunder Das, who has 23 Tests to his credit, then replaced Sharma as chairman of the panel that also has S Sharath (South), Subroto Banerjee (Central) and Salil Ankola (West).

The chairman of the senior selection panel earns Rs 1 crore annually while the four other members are paid Rs 90 lakh per annum. The last time the selection panel was headed by reputed former cricketers was when former captains Dilip Vengsarkar (2006-2008) and Krishnamachari Srikkanth (2008-2012) were at the helm.

Vengsarkar’s job was honorary and it was only after Srikkanth took over that BCCI began to pay its selectors. Mohinder Amarnath also became a part of the panel while Sandeep Patil also headed the committee later. Amarnath’s position became untenable after developing difference of opinion with then BCCI President N Srinivasan on MS Dhoni’s future as captain after Indian team’s twin debacle in England and Australia.

As of today, there is only one big name eligible for selector’s job from North Zone and that is legendary Virender Sehwag, the PTI news report read. The former opener though will think about the job only if BCCI approaches him with a decent pay package.

“During CoA’s time, Viru was asked to apply for head coach’s job and then it went to Anil Kumble. It is unlikely he will apply himself and also the pay package isn’t something that will be financially viable for someone of his stature,” a BCCI official, privy to developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity. “But if we talk about stature, only he makes the cut from North Zone.”

Former cricketers with notable international achievements are either associated with broadcast channels or with IPL teams as experts. A few are involved in running academies while others write syndicated columns and also do a lot of sponsored work, all of which cumulatively helps them earn much more compared to BCCI’s annual package.

“It is not that BCCI can’t pay a chairman of selectors at least Rs 4-5 crore. It can actually solve a lot of these conflict of interest issues which prevent prominent players from even thinking of coming into selection committee,” the source reasoned.

Who should be Team India’s chief selector ?

1. Virender Sehwag

2. Harbhjan Singh

3. Yuvraj Singh

4. Zaheer Khan

We Need Big Names For This Post, Who Can Have A Direct Role In Selection & Captain Had To Listen To It.

BCCI Can Give Them Healthy Fees Or Allow Their Endorsement
— Vaibhav Bhola __ (@VibhuBhola) February 15, 2023

Some of the other North Zone stalwarts are Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh but the trio haven’t yet fulfilled the criteria of five-year retirement period unless BCCI relaxes it and makes it five years since last international game.

In case BCCI doesn’t get a big name from North Zone, then former stumper Ajay Ratra is an option. He was one of the candidates interviewed by Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik and Jatin Paranjape when Chetan Sharma got reappointed. Another choice could be Vivek Razdan, who has watched a lot of domestic cricket as a BCCI panel commentator over the last decade.

“If I am approached, I would be interested and it would be an honour to serve Indian cricket. But I believe that for a selector’s post, one should only apply if you are told to apply,” Razdan, who is currently holidaying in the US said.

Former India spinner Maninder Singh had applied twice. He was called for an interview the first time but did not get call the second time.

(with PTI inputs)