CHENNAI: Who will pick the India squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on January 5? This question is ringing aloud in the BCCI corridors and there is no clarity over the future of the selection committee headed by MSK Prasad. A new selection panel was supposed to be appointed by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), but with the conflict of interest issue keeping candidates in bay, the BCCI has decided to approach the Supreme Court for clarity.
While BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly said on December 1 that a CAC would be formed in a week or 10 days, there has been no development on this. With the Supreme Court postponing the hearing to January, things have become more complicated. On Friday, Ganguly said the CAC would be formed in two days, following which the process will start, first by inviting applications and then interviewing the candidates.
With the Sri Lanka series starting on January 5, the squad should be named at least 10 days in advance. Even if the CAC is formed on Monday, there will be little time to conduct the process. As of Saturday evening, no communication was made to the current selectors about picking the squad. According to sources, this was supposed to happen on December 25.
There are concerns that even if a new selection panel is appointed, they will have little time to put together a squad. So even if the interview process begins on Monday by forming the CAC, Prasad & Co will be asked to pick the squad for the Sri Lanka series. As reported by this newspaper previously, former India spinner L Sivaramakrishnan is the frontrunner to replace Prasad as the chairman.
Where is the time? As the Lankan series begin on Jan 5, the squad should be named at least 10 days in advance. No communication was made to cricket selectors about selection. It was to take place on Dec 25.