IND vs WI: Virender Sehwag in line to become India’s next chief selector as BCCI invites fresh applications: Former team India flamboyant cricketer, Virender Sehwag has emerged as the top candidate to replace Chetan Sharma as the chief selector of the Indian national team. Sehwag could represent North Zone in the selector’s committee and is also likely to become the chairman of selectors.
Virender Sehwag has reportedly been approached by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials to apply for the vacant post of chief selector in the national team. However, the pay package for the role isn’t tempting enough for Sehwag, which has come up as a big hurdle.
The present salary of the BCCI chief selector is reported to be around INR 1 Crore annually, while the other selectors in the panel fetch INR 90 Lakhs annually.
“During CoA’s time, Viru was asked to apply for the 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. But if we talk about stature, only he makes the cut from North Zone,” said a BCCI official on the condition of anonymity.
The source further said that if BCCI decides to increase the remuneration and make it lucrative, it can actually solve a lot of issues.
“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,” he said.
Notably, the post of chairman of selectors has been vacant since February 2023. The then-chairman Chetan Sharma resigned from the role following a sting operation on him which saw him unearth some classified information related to the players and former head coach.
BCCI invites fresh application for chief selector’s post
Meanwhile, the BCCI has invited fresh applications for the role of India’s next chief selector. The basic eligibility criteria has also been put out by the board for the role which says:
- Should have played a minimum of – a) 7 (Seven) Test Matches; OR b) 30 (Thirty) First Class Matches; OR c) 10 (Ten) One Day International Matches and 20 (Twenty) First Class matches.
- Should have retired from the game at least 5 years previously.
- No person who has been a member of any Cricket Committee (as defined in the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of BCCI) for a total of five years shall be eligible to be a member of the Men’s Selection Committee.
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For more details head to BCCI’s official website.