Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri has called for a radical change in the team selection process in Indian cricket, suggesting both the coach and captain should be given an official say in the matter.

The head coach is part of the selection panel in Australia and England, but in India, the five-member selection panel has the whole power to select the squad with every member of the selection committee having a vote in the final selections, except for both the captain and coach.

However, the Indian captain sits in the selection committee meeting to give his inputs, but the final decision regarding team selection is taken by the selectors, which needs to be changed, according to the former captain Shastri whose tenure as head coach ended after the T20 World Cup 2021.

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However, the Indian captain sits in the selection committee meeting to give his inputs, but the final decision regarding team selection is taken by the selectors, which is something that needs to be changed, according to the former captain Shastri.

His tenure as India’s head coach ended after the T20 World Cup 2021 and was replaced by Rahul Dravid, who is currently in South Africa with the teams for a bilateral series.

Shastri told Star Sports: “I think it is extremely important that the captain and the coach should have a say in team selection. I think going forward, both should officially have a say. Especially if the coach is experienced enough, like I was and now how Rahul is.”

He signed off by saying, “It should happen in a meeting - not on the phone or outside - where the captain is there, so that he gets to see the mindsets of the selectors. What happens in the meeting when the convenor is there, all the big boys are there – he should be in that meeting.”

(With PTI Inputs)