The selection committee meeting to pick the Indian team for the one-day series against England will go ahead on Friday despite the Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI ) being hit by an administrative crisis following the latest Supreme Court order.
The BCCI announced today that the selection panel headed by former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad will gather in Mumbai on Friday to pick the Indian team for England series, comprising three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals, starting January 15.
The selectors will also pick the India A squad for two warm-up matches against England to be held at CCI, Mumbai. Howew2ver, it remains to seen whether team is chosen by the five-member panel, which was the case earlier, or a three-member committee as suggested by the Supreme Court appointed Lodha panel.
As per the Lodha recommendations, senior selection committee was supposed to be a three-member team comprising Test players.The BCCI finds itself in a crisis following the Supreme Court order on Monday.
Besides sacking Thakur and Shirke, the apex court directed all office bearers of BCCI and state associations to give an undertaking that they will abide by the recommendations of the Lodha panel. The recommendations have rendered most of the office-bearers ineligible to continue in their respective roles.
The court also ordered the senior most vice-president of the BCCI and joint secretary to perform the duties of president and secretary till January 19 when a new set of administrators will take charge of the world’s richest cricket board.
However, none of the five vice-presidents and joint secretary meet the eligibility criteria set by the Lodha panel.
Adding to the confusion is BCCI’s move to remove the names of all office-bearers from its website including the ones in the important working committee and selection committee.
In the absence of “eligible” office-bearer, the selection meeting is likely to be convened by CEO Rahul Johri.
Now with MS Dhoni having stepped down as captain of India’s limited overs side, Virat Kohli by all means is expected to succeed him. With him leading an almost balanced and settled Test side, Kohli will also want to mould the ODI team as per his liking. Thus it will be equally intriguing and exciting to see how MS Dhoni fits into this side as a player and where does Virat Kohli ask him to bat.
His on field expertise as a wicketkeeper will be an immense boon for Kohli as well. This will be Kohli’s very first series as a full time captain of the Indian limited overs side and he will want to give it a winning start, especially after whitewashing England in the Test series.
A new year, a new series and a new beginning for Team India under Kohli. Expectations are usual from him but also we need to give him time, is what one feels.
